Mating
by swirlheart
Summary: A simple mission turns out to be more than team 7 bargained for when it leads to Sasuke becoming a vampire… and soon, maybe even a husband! SasuXnewchick AKA Crystal. please review!
1. Chapter 1

A simple mission turns out to be more than team 7 bargained for when it leads to Sasuke becoming a vampire… and soon, maybe even a husband! SasuXnewchick.

Obsessed with Naruto, but still don't own it. Only Crystal is mine.

**Mating**

"I hate this stupid mission! Nothing's gonna happen, and this stupid thing itches!" Naruto whined as he fidgeted in his black suit.

Sasuke elbowed him in the ribs. "Stop your complaining. A mission's a mission."

Sasuke was dressed in a black tux, polished black shoes and a red rose pinned to his coat. Both ninja were without their headbands, much to Naruto's dismay, but they both looked very handsome.

Team 7 was sent out on a mission to be undercover guards at a lord's annual ball. Recently, the townspeople had been under attack by something that could only be described as a mystery. Roughly five people in the past week had come down with what doctors described as sudden anemia. Most of the victims were young, and had no medical record of poor health relating to this. The mention of massive blood loss with no puncture wound or physical damage whatsoever lead Kakashi to believe that it was some sort of jutsu. He took on this mission posing as a guard at the front door while Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura kept an eye out on the inside posing as gests.

"Well, how do I look?" Sakura twirled in front of them showing off her lovely pink gown. Not wanting to miss out on such a great opportunity to win Sasuke's heart, she had made sure to doll herself up. In addition to her sparkling pink dress, she also had on white high heels (which couldn't be seen anyway because of the gown's length), flowers in her hair and on her arm, and she was covered in body glitter.

Her attempt to gain Sasuke's attention was failing, but Naruto as well as half the people in the room noticed her.

"Wow, Sakura! You look great!" Naruto's complement went unnoticed by the pink ninja.

Sasuke glanced down at her in his usual uncaring way. "We're not here to look good. We're here to do a job."

Thinking up a cover story, Sakura said, "Oh, I know. But at least now no one would suspect that I'm under cover. I look just like the rest of the girls here. I'll blend right in."

Sasuke grunted.

"I still don't see why the lord just didn't cancel the party if he knew that the people were in danger," Naruto pointed out.

Sakura looked irritated. "Because, he doubts that anything would happen in a crowd this big. Besides, he said that this is his annual ball and it's never been cancelled before. He insisted that it stay open. It's that important."

"Alright, alright…"

"Ok. Sakura, you go out on the dance floor and keep your eyes open for anything suspicious. Try to listen in on their conversations if you can. Naruto and I will stay here out of the way doing our thing alright?"

Sakura nodded. "By the way, Sasuke, I might just have to steal a dance from you tonight in order to make it more believable." She winked, and Sasuke turned away.

"I don't dance."

Naruto leapt at his chance. "Sakura, I'll dance with you if…" But she was already gone.

The gests filed into the spacious room and inspected it. Nods of approval and light conversations were picked up by the undercover ninja. Soon the band started to play and the gests scurried onto the dance floor with their partners, some more willing than others.

Though both ninja were very well dressed, Naruto couldn't help but noticed that Sasuke was the one getting all the attention. He turned down all dance offers and ignored the lustful stares from the giggling cluster of infatuated young girls. Naruto wasn't even on the rebound, it seemed. The cute girls walked right by him as if he was invisible.

"What? Do I smell or something?" He sniffed his underarms earning him another elbow to the ribs from Sasuke.

"Knock it off! We're not here to get dates."

For as long as he could remember, he had always had fan girls chasing him down. He was used to their annoying stares and giggles and date offers, so much so that now they became meaningless. He wasn't interested in girls, now right now at least. Yes, he did want to get married and rebuild his clan, but his first priority was getting stronger and getting his revenge. After that, then yes, he'd look for a girl. Right now, however, he was immune to a lady's charm.

Or so he thought.

"Excuse me." He felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned.

There was a beautiful young girl, standing behind him. She was wearing a long royal blue dress, matching arm gloves, black high heeled boots and a sapphire gemstone necklace with a symbol of a bat in the center of it. Her long black hair was pinned up in a fancy pigtail decorated with a scrunchy riddled with purple flowers. She looked about a year older than he was.

"I don't believe I've seen you here before. Are you new?" She had such a beautiful voice.

"The lord made me come. He's been after me for years to show up to one of these things. He said that my presents would attract more women," he lied.

She seemed to believe him. "Oh, I see."

Sasuke prayed that she'd go away soon. It was a fool's hope, though.

"Would you like to dance?"

He narrowed his eyes and turned away, sick of hearing that phrase. He had heard it all night long.

For about the millionth time that night he said, "I don't dance."

He felt a small tug on his arm. "Oh, come on. It'll be fun. Please?"

Now very annoyed, he turned to face her. "I _said_…" He forgot. The second he had looked into her eyes he had forgotten everything. For a moment, he had even forgotten where he was.

"Please, dance with me?" Her voice was so incredibly hard to resist. How could he refuse? Just hearing that sultry sound of her voice made him want to obey. He wanted to please her.

"O-ok." He couldn't stop himself from saying that. He didn't even know why he said it, he just did. The next thing he knew, she was pulling him onto the dance floor.

Truth be told, he had absolutely no idea what he was doing. She led him to the center of the ballroom and, turning with a spin, she faced him. Suddenly, her chest was close to his. She placed his right hand on his waist while positioning her left on his shoulder. His body stiffened but she overlooked this as she gently slid her right hand into his left. Immediately, his warm fingers wrapped around hers. He looked at her. The look on her face was gentle, but she had a firm grip on his hand. He waited for directions.

"I'm going to show you how to waltz," she whispered.

He gulped.

_Why, oh, why did he even agree to this in the first place?!_

The music started and the dancers came to life. She took a step back and Sasuke stepped forward, closing the gap. She stepped forward, forcing him back to his first position. While stepping to the side she started to turn. Sasuke followed, trying to mirror her movements as best he could. They turned slowly with each sidestep. She put her hips into it, letting the music guide her body. Somehow, Sasuke was able to keep up. It wasn't easy. He wanted to stop. He turned to protest, but found her eyes again. From this close up, it was no exaggeration to say that she had the face of an angel. Sure, there were plenty of other pretty girls out there, especially the ones from his fan club, but none had the honest smile of this one. His mind went foggy. He couldn't remember what he was going to say.

It didn't matter. The swinging of her body close to his felt great. He was enjoying himself. He completely forgot about the mission.

"Spin me."

Her whispered command was confusing to the Uchiha. What did she mean? Before he could ask his eyes found hers once more. Every time he looked into her eyes he felt so lightheaded. Nothing else in the world mattered to him. He simply wanted to be with her, to please her.

Instinctively, he knew what to do. He raised his arm, never releasing his grasp on her hand and spun her like a top. They fell back into the same position as before and continued their waltz. By this time several people had started to stare at the dancing duo. He pulled her in close and gently pushed her away, allowing her to spin and stop at arm's length still holding hands. She twirled back into him, ending the spin with her back to his chest and her hand in his. They rocked for a moment before spinning her out again in the same way, only this time finishing with a dip.

A few dance couples had stopped dancing to watch. These two were impressive. Sakura had been asked to dance by several boys during the course of the night. It was nice, but she would have much rather been dancing with her crush. Her fourth dance partner of that evening stopped to stare at the couple on the dance floor. "Wow, those guys are good."

Curious, Sakura turned. Her jaw dropped once she saw who it was that was dancing: None other than Sasuke Uchiha. He was dancing with a dark-haired girl whom she had never seen before, yet the two of them looked as if they had been doing this for years. She had never felt such a wave of fury, jealousy, sorrow and pain in her life. She was hurt. _He'd dance with her and not me?!_

Sasuke ended the dance in another dip and paused. He was only vaguely aware of all the eyes watching him until he heard them clapping. The air filled with the sound of applause and compliments. He straightened up, pulling his partner to her feet. He didn't know what had gotten into him. It was like he was possessed by some higher power gifted in the art of dance. How did he do that? It wasn't that bad, though; she was steering.

She stroked his arm and he turned. Her eyes glistened as she spoke. "Thank you so much for the dance. It was so much fun."

Sasuke's heart soared at her kind words. The whole while he was dancing with her he felt like nothing he had ever felt before. Getting so close to such a cute girl caused excitement to rise in his chest, and Sasuke was exhilarated.

"Would you be a gentleman and escort me to the table?"

Sasuke initially wasn't sure how to respond. On a hunch, he extended his arm like a host showing a guest the way. He raised his left arm, holding his elbow out to her. She accepted his gesture and wrapped her arms around his as he led her away.

Once at the table, Sasuke tried to pull away from her, and though she released his arm, she didn't let go of his hand. "Thank you. You're a true gentleman." She paused then added, "You're a pretty good dancer. You know, if this was your first time dancing… and we were doing so well together, then I guess that means that we are compatible. Even if I was the one leading you."

_Compatible? What's that supposed to mean?_ Considering the transparency of her expression, Sasuke took her words for their literal meaning.

The young girl removed a dark purple flower from behind her ear and slipped it into Sasuke's lapel. "A token of my thanks," she explained. She pulled away leaving Sasuke by himself once more.

Losing the warmth of her palm, his hand momentarily grasped for hers before falling back to its place at his side. He watched her leave, staring at her back with a look of longing in his dark eyes.

"Sasuke!"

He jumped at the sudden shout from behind, coming back to reality.

It was Naruto. He stormed up to Sasuke looking furious. "What's the big idea?! You just told Sakura and all those other girls that you didn't dance and then you make off with that one! What's the matter with you? You hurt Sakura's feelings!"

"She'll get over it."

Naruto narrowed his eyes at his rival. "You're a real jerk, you know that?"

The Uchiha ignored Naruto's incessant ranting and raving and got himself a glass of water. He couldn't stop thinking about that girl. He didn't even know her name. He thought back to their conversation a few minute earlier. In no way was she exaggerating about her dancing abilities. They way she moved her body was enchanting. She was much prettier than the other girls he had met; hell, she was down right gorgeous!

He looked up from his glass and spotted her going out to the balcony. Something about her possessed a mysterious allure and it was pulling him in close. He had to talk to her. He set his glass down and followed her.

The night air was cool and refreshing. Stars littered the sky accompanied only by the crescent moon. Their light illuminated the only other person on that balcony. Gathering his courage, Sasuke approached her. She didn't acknowledge him until he was standing right next to her. She smiled.

Sasuke couldn't think of anything to say. He just stood there silently.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she spoke. "Oh, I just love nighttime, don't you? Everything's quiet and calm. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Uh… sure." Why did he feel this way? What was wrong with him?

She placed her hand on his as her gaze drifted across the treetops. Sasuke snapped back to himself and pulled away. She looked at him.

Even Sasuke wasn't immune to her feminine charm. He poured all his strength into putting up a resistance.

"Who are you?" she asked. He didn't answer. She stepped closer and locked eyes with him. "Tell me your name."

Her eyes were the most beautiful things he had ever seen in his life. They had a way of drawing him in. The same lightheaded feeling was back. _Tell me your name_… He obeyed. "Sasuke Uchiha."

She smiled. "Sasuke… Such a nice name. Brave and strong… it suits you. Tell me, Sasuke, what are you doing here?"

_Tell a lie. Tell a lie. _

"I'm a ninja from the leaf village. I've come here on a mission to keep this ball safe from attack; and also to find out why all those people came down with blood loss with no wounds."

Why the hell did he say that?! He couldn't bring himself to lie to her.

"Really?"

He nodded, unable to stop himself.

She turned away. Sasuke felt his freewill return to him. He gave his head a small shake. He felt a little dizzy. _What just happened?_

She looked back out over the trees. Sasuke detected a roguish chuckle under her breath. What was she up to? Who was she?

Lucky for Sasuke, he never put down his guard. Though he was dressed in a handsome tux, he wasn't without a weapon. He had a kunai knife hidden under his suit just in case…

She approached him, swinging her hips from side to side like a pendulum. He backed up. The knife was strapped to his leg. If she tired anything, it would only take him a second to reach it and attack. He backed up into a potted plant and froze.

"How rude of me. You were so kind as to give me your name but I didn't give you mine." She stopped six inches away from his body and placed a hand on his chest. "My name is Crystal."

Crystal? What a fitting name! No wonder her eyes sparkled. She was so beautiful.

Before he could get drawn in by her eyes again, Sasuke quickly turned away. She leaned up against him body in an attempt to hug him, but he pushed her away. She returned to the same position seconds later and Sasuke pushed against her shoulders in protest, inadvertently catching a glimpse at her eyes.

Such beautiful eyes… So big and sparkly… He loved her eyes. His eyes were magnetized to them, unable to look away. He could stare at those glowing red eyes all night long.

Wait a minute. Glowing red eyes? Red? That wasn't a natural color for eyes. Something was wrong here.

His whole body went limp and he slid onto the cold stone balcony. She held him in her arms and smiled. "I'm going to let you in on a little something…" She leaned in close to his face an d whispered, "I'm the one who attacked those people."

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly. He couldn't speak, he couldn't move. He was totally helpless.

Crystal stroked his face with her gloved hand. "I was hungry, you see…" Her murmur was cold yet soft. As creepy as it was, it had a way of calming Sasuke down. He laid in her arms like a ragdoll, incapable to do much else. "They had such tasty blood. But don't worry; I hardly ever kill my victims."

She opened her mouth, revealing her long white fangs.

The paralyzed Sasuke couldn't believe his eyes. _No way! She's a vampire?!_

Crystal inched her way over to his neck, preparing to bite. "Oh, and by the way…" she whispered, "I'll let you in on a little secret… I'm looking for someone strong, a ninja, perhaps. I wish to find a powerful male to help me rebuild by diminishing clan. There aren't very many of us left and I'm looking for a mate."

Sasuke's eyes widened in horror. '_Mate'?_

She folded down the collar of his suit and sank her fangs deep into his jugular. Sasuke's body squirmed slightly and he let out a soft grunt. He could feel his blood being sucked out through the puncture wounds in his neck. She was draining him.

"S…s-stop…" he managed to choke out. He could feel his body getting weaker. He felt so woozy. "…please… stop." His voice was getting weaker and fainter. His soft pleas were lost in the slurping sound Crystal was making on his left. If he could move he would fight. If he could scream he would. He was powerless.

Sasuke could hear the muffled sounds of the party from behind the closed doors several yards away. He could sense the shadows dancing across the stone floor, cast by the light shining through the enormous windows. His friends were inside, but he couldn't call for help and they had no idea where he was. He was all alone at the mercy of this vampire.

His vision started to blur. He was starting to lose consciousness. How much of his blood was she taking? Sasuke let out a soft moan unable to form words anymore. His eyes grew heavy and everything around him started to spin and fade away. His head fell back and he lay there quietly in her arms. His dark eyes drifted closed as he passed out.

Crystal parted from his neck, her face smeared with Sasuke's blood. She licked her lips and said, "You have delicious blood. How delectable!"

She set Sasuke's lifeless body on the ground and stood up.

"Just for the record, I don't give my name out to just anyone." She smiled. "I have a feeling I'll be seeing you again real soon, Sasuke Uchiha."

With that Crystal leapt over the stone railing and took off into the night.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

So how was it? I have so many ideas for this fic. Please review! I plan to do more chapters, but I'd like to hear ideas! No flames, please. Thax! **^-^**


	2. Chapter 2 Awakening

**Chapter 2: Awakening**

Dark surrounded Sasuke, suspended in nothingness.

"Sasuke?"

He heard a voice. It sounded so far away.

"Sasuke! Sasuke, can you hear us?"

Another voice. They sounded so familiar.

"Please, say something! Anything!"

His whole body felt heavy as if his skin were made out of lead. He shifted his body and let out a soft moan.

"Look, he's starting to come around."

That was Kakashi's voice. Sasuke opened his eyes slowly taking in his blurry surroundings. He was propped up in his sensei's lap his arms wrapped around his shoulders for support. Sakura was kneeling on his right side and Naruto on the other; both looking very concerned. As everything came into focus, Sasuke spoke.

"What happened?" he asked groggily.

"We found you out here passed out," Kakashi explained. "Sakura checked you over and even though there are no wounds, she detected massive blood loss."

"Wh-what?" Sasuke tried to remember, but his mind was in a fog. Was he attacked? He couldn't remember. He couldn't remember much of anything, really. "What about the mission?"

Silence, then, "The lord was pleased with our work. He called it a success. We were dismissed."

"What?" Sasuke sprang up but came crashing back down due to his dizziness. His mind was sent spinning as punishment for getting up too fast with massive blood loss.

"Take it easy," Kakashi warned. "Don't push yourself. You need to rest and recuperate."

"What do you mean 'dismissed'? I was just attacked and now we're being sent home? That's ridiculous! We gotta go after this guy!"

"We're not allowed to," Kakashi went on. "We were called here to do a mission. That mission was to guard this ball and make sure that none of the guests were attacked. According to the lord who hired us, that mission was a success. He's sending us home because we're done here. The ball is over and none of the guests were harmed. We weren't assigned to pursue who or whatever is causing this, just to keep this party safe and we did that. You know the rules. Now that we've been dismissed, we're not allowed to interfere any further."

Kakashi watched as Sasuke turned to the ground with a bitter look on his face.

"I know you want revenge, but I'll tell you what. I'll keep in touch with the lord and ask him to keep me informed. I'll just tell him that it's part of our job. That way, if anything happens, we'll know about it and maybe, just maybe, you can look for this guy. Ok?"

Sasuke knew that he was just trying to help him feel better. He was aware of the rules as much as any other ninja, so he knew that Kakashi was right. He nodded his head in agreement, and Kakashi pulled him to his feet, keeping one arm behind him for balance. Sasuke was very dizzy and off balance causing him to cling to his sensei's arm for support as he staggered away.

After a big meal, some juice and a good night's sleep, Sasuke returned to the village with his team feeling much better than he had been last night. He was still in a sour mood; however, now it was for two reasons. One: he was attacked and the person got away with it. Two: Kakashi told him not to do any training until the next day in order to fully recover. With nothing to do and in a very bad mood, Sasuke simply went home. While muttering bitterly under his breath, he cooked himself dinner, took a shower and went to bed.

"Lee, for the last time, I'm tired!"

The green beast looked up at his teammate, sweat dripping down his face. "But Neji, we have barely scratched the surface!"

Neji narrowed his eyes. "Listen, I've been training with you nonstop since lunch. I haven't had dinner, and even Tenten gave up hours ago. Now I'm going home."

"But you are going to miss doing 500 laps around the village on our hands!"

Neji's eye twitched. "I think I'll pass." Without another word, he left Lee to train by himself.

He looked at his watch. _It's already past 10:00! I've been training longer than I thought. No wonder I'm tired_, Neji thought to himself as he crossed the dark streets of the village. He was tired and hungry. He was also alert.

Sensing something behind him, he stopped. "Who's there?"

No answer.

Neji turned around and opened his eyes wide_. Byakugan!_

He stared straight ahead and discovered what appeared to be a human form hiding behind the trees. "Come on out! I know you're there." They didn't move. "I can see you behind the tree."

Adding that piece of information, the figure stood up and walked towards him. He blinked, letting his eyes return to normal.

"Forgive me for skulking around like that," Crystal explained. "I didn't want to surprise you. You see, I'm not from around here."

Neji eyed her warily. "What are you doing here?"

"Me?" She looked surprised. "Oh, I'm just looking for some strong ninja to help me out. You wouldn't happen to be a ninja, would you?"

"I would."

She clapped her hands in delight. "Oh, how wonderful! Tell me, what is your name?"

He refused to speak.

Crystal looked slightly perturbed at this. "Please?" She stuck out her lip for effect. "Pretty, pretty please?"

"Tell me yours first."

"Now, why would you want to know that?"

"Because it's common courtesy to give your name before asking for someone else's."

Crystal frowned. "I don't give out my name to just anyone…"

"Then you're not going to hear mine."

She looked annoyed. She stepped closer. "Please tell me your name." This time it was an order.

Locking eyes with her, Neji felt his defenses fall. His stubbornness faded away as an eerie calm embraced his being. Suddenly, he felt like pleasing her. "Neji Hyuga."

"Neji… that's a nice name. I like it. Pleased to meet you."

He blinked. What just happened?

Crystal smiled at him and walked closer. "I have a favor to ask." She paused. "I'm a little hungry."

"Don't expect me to by you anything. Besides, most restaurants are closed at this hour."

"Oh, no. I don't need a restaurant. You'll do just fine."

At these words, Neji looked down. Her eyes were a magnificent red and her white fangs were starting to elongate. He pushed her away and backed up. "W-what are you?"

Crystal didn't answer. Instead she rose from the ground and hovered a few inches in the air. "You look tasty," she hissed. "Come here."

Neji gave into his instincts and ran. This girl wasn't normal. There was something about her that made Neji's blood run cold. He was terrified. Under normal circumstances he would've stayed behind and fought, but instead he fled independent of his will; that was another thing that concerned him.

He tore around corners and finally slowed to a stop when he was certain that he had lost her. He leaned up against a building and panted. That girl was unlike anything he had ever seen before. What was she?

"Boo."

He turned and found himself face to face with her once again. She smiled as if this whole thing was a game. She reached for his arm and he bolted.

He had to get away. He had to get away!

Every time he thought he had lost her, she'd show up. She'd either cut him off, or pop up next to where he was standing. It was freaky. How did she know where he was? Could she read his mind? She was so fast. Every time Neji turned around, there she'd be.

Desperate, Neji tried to fight his way out. _This ought to slow her down!_ "Gentle fist!" He nailed her in the arm, but it had no effect. _How can this be? It was a direct hit!_

Her smile widened and she pushed him up against the wall with tremendous force, knocking the wind out of him. He gasped for air and tried to wriggle free, but to no avail. She had a solid grip on his shoulders. He couldn't even lift his arms.

"Neji…" Her voice was soft and gentle, like a mother speaking to her child. It was gentle, yet cold. Her delicate call had an eerie tone to it, sending shivers down his spine. "Look into my eyes."

Upon hearing her command, Neji couldn't help himself. Slowly, his eyes drifted up to hers. He couldn't pull away, he couldn't resist.

Her eyes were big and beautiful. They appeared to be glowing with a celestial, angelic light. So beautiful…

Neji could feel his will and consciousness slipping. All his fear and worry was being drained from his body, leaving him in a state of calm and relaxation. He felt so mellow. He couldn't even remember why he was running away. Soon, he didn't even remember running at all. His body went limp now relying on her to hold him up.

He had never felt like this before. It felt nice, but somewhere in the back of his mind he knew it was wrong. A small moan of protest escaped him.

"Shhh… Shhh…" She shushed him. She stroked the side of his face in a calming manner. It felt so good.

Now completely at ease, Neji felt his eyes drooping. His whole body felt warm and relaxed. He slumped in her arms like a ragdoll in a daze, completely helpless.

At this, Crystal moved in close to her victim's neck. Pulling down his shirt collar, and extending her fangs, she plunged them deep into his neck. A warm gush of blood filled her mouth. Neji flinched at the sudden sting and let out a soft whine. She continued on with her bloody meal, disregarding Neji entirely.

Only when his eyes close did she stop. She licked her lips and set him down on the ground against the side of the building. She looked down at Neji's motionless form, observing.

"You have tasty blood, too," She whispered to his unconscious body. "Yes, indeed, you're blood is rare. Almost as extraordinary as Uchiha's. It has a very strong flavor." She thought for a moment, and then added, "I may have to think about this one. Sasuke might have some competition after all. But rest assured, one of you will be my mate."

Crystal bent down and stroked Neji's pale face. He let out a soft moan and then lay quietly in the dirt.

"I just have to figure out who's stronger…"

So how was it? I'm still looking for reviews. I'd LOVE 'em! Now it's getting to the good part.

See ya next time! ^-^


	3. Chapter 3 Chosen

**Chapter 3: Chosen**

It was a beautiful day in the Leaf Village, sunny and warm. A perfect day for training. Now that Sasuke had thoroughly recovered he was itching to make up for lost time by training all day long.

Team 7, however, had a very short training session that morning with Kakashi. It was interrupted when Tenten came running down the street carrying a bouquet of flowers. Sakura flagged her down and asked what she was doing.

Tenten looked at the ground, distraught. "It's Neji…" she mumbled into the flowers. "They found him last night unconscious by the side of the road. He's at the hospital being treated right now. The doctors said that he suffered massive blood loss."

"That's horrible!" Sakura gasped. "Was he attacked? Do they know who did it?"

The older girl shook her head. "That's the problem. None of the medical ninja would find a single wound on him. They don't know what caused the blood loss."

Team 7 looked at each other, and followed Tenten to the hospital.

Neji was lying in the middle of a white hospital bed, still unconscious. Though he appeared dead, according to Naruto, his chest slowly moved up and down with each soft breath he took. Lee and Tenten were at his side looking deeply concerned.

"Has he woken up yet?" Tenten asked Lee.

"No. He has never regained consciousness. All of the doctors are concerned. They fear he may be in a semi-coma."

Tenten studied Neji's sleeping form absentmindedly. "I can't believe he'd go down like this. He's always so strong. What could've happened?"

"…Mmm… Hmmm…"

The group looked up. Neji was stirring.

Tenten jumped to her feet and grabbed hold of his hand. "Neji? Neji, it's me, Tenten. Lee, Naruto, everyone's here. Please wake up."

Inhaling deeply, Neji gave a soft moan and opened his eyes. He looked around slowly, blinking to clear his blurry vision. "Ugh… T-Tenten...?"

She nodded. "Yes, yes, it's me. And Lee, too."

He was clearly out of it. He moaned again and rubbed his head with his free hand. "I feel awful. My head is killing me… Where am I?"

"The hospital."

"Hospital? What am I doing here?" He tried to sit up, but couldn't and flopped back down on the bed. "Ugh… I'm so weak…"

"Easy. You lost a lot of blood. You were found outside with massive blood loss. Were you attacked?"

Neji looked at Lee inquisitively. "Last night? Attacked?" He paused for a moment in thought. "I… I don't…really… remember."

"You don't?"

"No, nothing. I can't remember a thing. All I remember is leaving Lee alone to train by himself. I was with him all day training and was tired and hungry. I didn't eat dinner, so I went home."

"You didn't eat? And you were training all day? You must've collapsed from exhaustion. That might've had something to do with it. And after that?"

"…Nothing. I don't remember anything after that. But I don't remember being lightheaded or anything… Do you think I really just passed out from overdoing things?"

"That and not eating. But still, where'd the blood loss come from? It couldn't've resulted from that, could it?"

Kakashi nodded to his group and spoke. "We just returned from a village where this was happening, too. Roughly five villagers came down with it, including Sasuke; but he wasn't hit as hard as this. I had assumed that it was a ninja using some sort of jutsu… I think we should investigate. How does that sound?"

Team Gai looked at each other then nodded. "Yes. If it really was a ninja then I want justice! They'll pay for what they did to Neji… and Sasuke, too," Tenten quickly added. "What should we do?"

"Stay here and take care of Neji. He's still very weak. I'm sure he'll need your help. Lee, will you be joining us?"

Lee pulled himself into a salute. "Yes, sir!"

~*~*~*

It took all day, but the ninja discovered nothing. Feeling defeated, most of them returned home to call it a night. According to Tenten, Neji was being kept at the hospital overnight for observation. After searching the village for clues, even she returned home. Sasuke, however, did not. Despite the lack of clues, he was determined to find the culprit responsible. He wanted vengeance.

After searching hopelessly for hours, Sasuke returned home. This was very frustrating.

He opened the door to his room and flopped down on the bed. Defeat was very depressing. Just knowing that he was suffering from it was exasperating.

"I was beginning to wonder when you'd be showing up."

That voice was so familiar. Sasuke spun around. There sitting in the dark corner of his room was a young girl. Why didn't he sense her there? Judging from her position and the open book on her lap, it looked as if she had been there for quite some time.

"Who are you?" Sasuke demanded, jumping to his feet.

Her angelic pale face didn't look remotely surprised by his question, though she pouted upon hearing it. "Oh? Well, I can't say this doesn't surprise me." She stood up from the armchair and strolled towards him. "Perhaps this will jog your memory."

Conjuring up an imaginary partner, she began to waltz across his bedroom floor to an unheard tune. Sasuke watched in awe at the beautiful display before him. Her footwork was flawless and her movements precise. Her dance was enchanting to say the least.

The dance stirred up the waves in the ocean of his memory. Yes, that's right. At the ball. She was there… They danced together. His memory was fuzzy and the images unclear, but he understood. He remembered.

"You…"

Her smile widened and she started humming the melody of the song they danced to.

"At the ball…"

Her humming grew louder.

"We danced together at the ball, didn't we?"

Her humming was interrupted by her own giggles. "Yes, yes! So you do remember!" She spun into his chest and grabbed his hands. "We danced just like this, remember? You and me."

He felt as if he were being thrown back into the memory of a dream from a long time ago. All these steps were so familiar. He knew them.

Realizing what he was doing, Sasuke pushed her away. She had been leading him in another dance. A dance he wanted no part of.

"Who are you? What's your name?"

Her childish giggling filled the room. "Oh, come now, Sasuke! You know me!" Her giggles diminished as she became aware of his quizzical stare. "Crystal."

As she sang her name Sasuke gradually started to remember. "Crystal…" He repeated slowly to himself. Suddenly it hit him. "You! Crystal!"

She jumped for joy at his sudden recollection.

"You attacked me! I remember! It was YOU!" He grabbed his kunai knives and launched himself at the enemy. She easily evaded and knocked the blade from his hand. "Wonderful!"

Sasuke retaliated with a punch aimed at her face, but it never made its target. Crystal grabbed his fist and bent it backwards. He yelped in pain.

"Easy, Sasuke!" She cooed. "I'm not going to kill you or nothing. I just want a little taste."

"Taste?"

She nodded. "Uh-huh. I'm hungry and I need to test something. You and Neji seem very strong, but I only need one mate. You're running up against him, you see. I have to figure out which one of you is best suitable based on your blood. Now hold still, this'll just take a second."

Despite her words, Sasuke began to fight back.

"I said hold still."

He refused. He had to get away. "There's no way I'm letting you eat me!" He squirmed and wriggled as best he could to prevent her from getting a clear shot at his neck. The harder he fought, the stronger her hold on him became.

Frustrated with her stubborn prey, Crystal gave an irritated sigh. Grabbing his jaw, she forcibly turned his head towards hers and hissed, "I _said_, hold still!"

Locking eyes instantly, Sasuke's entire body froze. He couldn't even speak. Pleased by this, Crystal inched over to his neck. "Good boy. Now this will only take a second. Don't worry, I won't take much. I took too much from that Neji boy last night by mistake. He was weak to start with…"

A sharp pain shot through his neck as she sank her fangs deep into his flesh. "Gaugh..!" He let out a gargled yelp as he felt his blood being drained from his body. It wasn't that painful, but it was a very uncomfortable sensation. As quickly as it happened, it was over. She parted from his neck, swallowing the leftover blood in her mouth.

"Mmm-UMM! That's good! It's so yummy, Sasuke! Much, much better than Neji's! You're strong and cute, too. Alright, I've decided! You'll be my mate!"

_No way! No way in HELL!_ His body couldn't move. As hard as he tried he just couldn't make his body obey. He was frozen, unable to speak or fight back. He was helpless.

Mustering up all his strength, Sasuke managed to budge a little. It took nearly all his energy, but he only able to take a single step backward. It wasn't enough. He had to get more distance between him and the enemy.

She was getting closer.

"…no…" His voice was soft and gargled, but he spoke. "…St…ay… away…" He was starting to resist. He was fighting back.

Without warning, Crystal leapt through the air and tackled Sasuke to the bed. She pinned him to the bed by his shoulders, pressing him into the mattress. She was too strong.

He stared at the white fangs as they got closer. Unable to do much else, Sasuke shut his eyes in anticipation of the pain. A sharp pain shot through his neck, but it quickly subsided.

It wasn't so bad. He had expected the pain to be much worse. It actually felt kind of nice. Rather than a horrible sucking sensation, he felt a strange warmth being injected into his body through his neck. The warm feeling spread though his entire body, filling him with a strange sense of peace.

It wasn't so bad. Not bad at all. In fact, it made him feel kind of happy. It was strangely relaxing. His whole body went numb and warm while his brain switched off. It was like a dream.

Sasuke's eyes began to droop as he suddenly felt very drowsy. Everything went dark.

Crystal parted from his neck and set him down on the pillows, covering him up with the royal blue covers. She smiled as she tucked him in.

"Sasuke Uchiha…" She hissed his name as she bent over his sleeping form. "The transformation will be slow, but no less effective. You'll be a full-fledged vampire in no time at all. There's no going back now."

A soft moan escaped the young ninja at that moment and his face twisted in discomfort. The venom was taking effect.

She brushed some stray locks of hair off of his face and whispered, "You'll be needing my help of course. I'll train you… when you seek me out."

That said, Crystal bent down closer to her prize and gave him a small kiss on his pale forehead.

"You're all mine now, Sasuke."


	4. Chapter 4 Vampire

**Chapter 4: Vampire**

Sasuke woke with a start. He sprang up in bed and looked wildly around. Everything was normal.

_Was that all a dream? Did I dream that whole thing?_

He swung his legs over the side of the bed and rubbed his neck. It hurt slightly, like it was sore. Did he sleep crooked?

As he got ready for the day, Sasuke became very aware that something was amiss. After his morning shower, Sasuke went over to the mirror to examine his face and comb his hair. What he saw made him do a double take.

Or maybe what he didn't see…

He was looking straight into the mirror, but he was staring at wall behind him. _No way_… He waved his hand in front of the mirror, but he couldn't see its reflection. Next he held up the comb. It reflected but not his hand.

"I… I don't have a reflection..?"

No. No! That's impossible. It must've been a trick mirror or a genjutsu. But a trick mirror in his own home? Was that really possible? And what genjutsu? He was alone, so who could've put it in place? It didn't make any sense.

~*~*~

As strange as things were, Sasuke went on with training as planned. He'd sort this whole thing out later. Now he had more important things to tend to with his team.

A few blocks away, Shikamaru wasn't having a good day either. Ino had somehow managed to con him into shopping with her and giving his 'honest' opinion on the clothes she tried on.

"How's this?" Ino modeled a lime-green dress for Shikamaru to critique.

"It's fine. Can we go now?"

"Ugh, I don't know what your problem is, Shikamaru, but you've got the easy part. All you have to do is sit there and look at the outfits. I'm the one doing all the work." Ino turned back into the stall with an arm full of new garments to try on. "It's not gonna kill ya. Just sit there and be quite. I'll be out in a minute."

Shikamaru folded his arms and turned away in a huff. "How troublesome."

That's when he noticed the long-haired girl walking towards him. She sat on the bench across from him and smiled.

"Hi!"

"…hi...?"

"Shopping with your girlfriend?"

"She's not my girlfriend."

"I see."

Shikamaru eyed her suspiciously. "Did you need something?"

She smiled again. "I'm so glad you asked," she chirped. "You're a ninja right? Then you must know a guy by the name of Sasuke wouldn't you?"

"Maybe." There was something about this girl that he didn't trust.

Not waiting for another word from the boy, Crystal locked eyes with him. "I was wondering if you could help me out with something."

Shikamaru stared deeply into her magnificent red eyes. They were stunning; simply mesmerizing. Suddenly, he felt compelled to do her bidding. He was completely willing to do whatever she said.

"Of course," Shikamaru drawled dreamily. He had a distant look on his face and his jaw was slightly slack, entranced by her eyes.

"Would you be so kind as to answer my questions truthfully?"

"Yes."

Pleased by his reply and encouraged by the glazed look in his eyes, she went on. "Do you know Sasuke Uchiha?"

"Yes."

"Do you know where he is now?"

A pause, then, "He usually trains with his team about this time. At about noon, they stop to have lunch. They come from that direction." He pointed lazily with his limp arm out the door near a side street.

She followed his idle gesture and nodded. Turning to her slouched zombie, she winked. "Thank you for your service."

Shikamaru's head snapped up. "Huh?" That girl was long gone along with half of his memories of the last two minutes. "What just… happened? I feel like… like I'm just waking out of a dream."

~*~*~

"I beat you, end of story!"

"You did not."

"Oh, yeah, I did. My kunai was higher than yours."

"Naruto, yours sagged. It didn't stay in the tree. It wasn't in deep enough. Mine was."

"Sasuke, that doesn't count! Mine was at least half a centimeter above yours. I won!"

"Why is everything a damn competition with you guys?" Sakura groaned.

Teams 7 had just finished their morning training with Kakashi and were on their way into town for lunch. Sasuke had managed to put this morning's mirror incident out of his mind and continued with the day as usual.

"Excuse me!"

The group turned. A young dark-haired girl was jogging up to them. The ever polite Sakura smiled and faced her. "Hello. Can we help you with something?"

Naruto meanwhile had a different reaction to the newcomer's presence. "Wow! Man, she's hot!" He received a swift elbow to the ribs by Sakura for that comment.

Sakura tried to cover up her teammate's rude remark with another smile. "I don't think we've met, have we? My name's Sakura. This is Naruto and over there's Sasuke."

"Pleasure. My name is Crystal." She complemented her introduction with a curtsy.

_How mannerly!_ Sakura thought. "You're not from around here are you?"

"Correct. I'm here visiting."

While Crystal forged a believable story to fool the pink haired ninja, Naruto studied her from head to toe. Man, she was a looker! This girl was beautiful as well as sophisticated, truly worthy of the title 'crystal'.

Naruto wasn't the only one who had noticed. Sasuke hadn't taken his eyes off of her for a second. There was something about her that possessed a mysterious allure. Her beauty couldn't be measured or put into words. She was simply divine.

Sasuke had never felt like this before. His mind was reeling and his heart was bounding. What was this strange feeling? Why did he feel so attracted to her? Attracted? No way! Never!

It was true. Sasuke was completely infatuated with her for reasons he did not know. For the first time in his life, The Sasuke Uchiha was struck by Cupid's arrow and had fallen head over heels in love with a girl.

Unable to control himself, Sasuke found himself staring at the dark-haired girl constantly. Why couldn't he force himself to look away? He watched as the two girls talked to each other, engrossed in their own conversation. He marveled her hand gestures and watched her pink lips as they formed every word she spoke. He had no idea what their conversation was about, but he knew he would've been hanging on her every word if he did.

When she giggled along with Sakura, Sasuke could feel himself blush. Her laugh was enthralling. So what if he couldn't decipher these strange knew feelings? He liked them. He felt wonderful every time she opened her mouth. Just being in her presence alone was intoxicating.

That's when he became aware of the gazes he was receiving from the group. He straightened up and cleared his throat.

"So you're Sasuke."

"Uh." He gave a small squeak as he felt her eyes fall upon him. She was beautiful. He forced himself to look at her to give a proper response.

Her eyes were stunning. They were like two ruby jewels. Those enchanting red orbs were framed only by her long black lashes. The lightheadedness had returned. He could no longer remember what he was going to say.

"Nice to meet you, and your teammates. How do you do?"

Her voice was incredible, like the tinkling of bells or maybe a chorus of angels.

Suddenly he found himself unable to speak or move. He had succumbed to a mew feeling he was not familiar with: nervousness. He could only pray that she didn't notice the crimson hue that laced across his cheeks. The shy boy avoided eye contact as best he could.

That's when he noticed that she had taken a step closer. She was about three feet from him at best. This was too close for him. His blush reddened even more. Normally he would have been annoyed at the fact that she had gotten closer, but this time was different. As he calculated their proximity he became aware of a feeling that he rarely showed: fear. Being this close to her scared him.

Why was he so scared of this girl? Why did he feel this way? It was mind boggling!

"I said 'how do you do?'" She had repeated herself for the second time. She expected an answer. He had to respond.

Sasuke's face grew hot. He searched his mind for a suitable response. 'Fine'? 'Ok'? What would be a good answer? He opened his mouth as if to speak, but no sound came out. He shut his mouth, gulped and tried again.

"…F… F-fine…" he croaked. _God, that was a stupid answer!_ He cursed himself for saying something, which he thought, was so stupid.

Crystal smiled. "That's good to hear." She checked his figure and her smile deepened. "I knew you'd have a name that's as handsome as you."

What he did next was THE most embarrassing, creepiest, strangest, out-of-character thing he had ever done: he giggled. Not just any giggle, but an ungodly, little schoolgirl kind of giggle.

"Tee-heeheeheehee-HA!"

By the time he had realized what he had done it was too late. He clasped his hands over his mouth, eyes wide as saucers. Sasuke's face turned a bright crimson and he began to sweat profusely. That was horrible! Even Sakura looked embarrassed for him.

Unable to stand the awkward stares of the group, Sasuke turned and bolted. He ran as fast as he could, still feeling Crystal's eyes on his back.

He rounded a corner and planted his back against the wall, panting. _That was humiliating!_ Why the Hell did he do that? It just slipped out. No, not slip- it _shot_ out! He had never been so embarrassed before in his life!

"I had no idea you were so shy."

Jumping about a foot in the air, he spun around to discover Crystal standing at his side. When did she get here? His jaw moved up and down but no sound came forth.

"Have you noticed yet?"

"Huh?" Curiosity allowed his voice to work.

"Anything different. You know, your condition."

He was so confused. "What condition?"

She seemed both impatient and amused. "So you haven't noticed a change? Oh, well, never mind. I'll give you some space. But once you figure it out I'll be right there waiting to take you under my wing."

Now very confused and a little annoyed, Sasuke asked, "What are you talking about? I don't understand."

Without giving an answer, she vanished. Sasuke had never been so lost in his life. _What the Hell did she mean? What's going on?_

~*~*~

Sasuke had a lot on his mind that night. He still couldn't bring himself to face his team after this morning's 'mishap'. Who was that girl? Why did he act the way he did in front of her? What was she talking about? None of it made any sense at all.

On the plus side, Neji was released from the hospital that night. He still couldn't remember anything, but at least he was well enough to leave. The medical ninja still had no explanation for what had happened to him but they hoped that it was a jutsu's doing and wasn't contagious.

Sasuke was preparing to fix himself dinner. Hamburgers sounded good for that night. He had already bought the raw meat, now all he had to do was fry it up on the stove.

Just as he was about to turn on the heat, he noticed something. The raw pink meat was dripping in blood. Normally he wouldn't care less about something so natural, but tonight it caught his eye. He moved closer, observing. There was something about the way that the dark red liquid reflected the light that was so interesting. His eyes remained fixed on the bloody meat. It was so tantalizing.

Independent of his will, Sasuke reached forward and picked up a handful of meat. Unable to control himself, he lifted it to his lips and sucked the blood from the raw piece of beef. It was delicious. He never knew that raw meat blood was so good. He slurped hungrily and soon the feast was finished.

Reality finally sank in and Sasuke realized what he had done. What had gotten into him? Was he just eating raw meat? Did he just drink blood?

Something wasn't right.

~*~*~

He tried to put the incident out of his mind the next day at lunch. Once again, Naruto had picked ramen for lunch, much to the rest of the team's chagrin. They always had ramen. Sasuke and Sakura were getting sick of it, but always ate it anyway.

Today, however, was different. Sasuke looked down at his bowl in disgust. It was the same ramen he always ate, so then why did it not appeal to him today? After one bite it was all Sasuke could do to keep from gagging. It was revolting. The hot soupy noodles tasted like ash in his mouth. He looked around to see if anyone else had a problem with theirs. They didn't, it was only his.

"Are you gonna eat that?" Naruto asked from the other side of the table. He was eyeing Sasuke's bowl hungrily.

"No, you can have it." Sasuke pushed the bowl over to his teammate and watched. Naruto slurped the ramen happily. He didn't seem to notice a strange taste at all. Only Sasuke had a problem it seemed.

Throughout the day, Sasuke began to notice even more strange things happening to himself. Not only did he not have a reflection and dislike ramen, he hated all foods including his former favorite: rice balls. Maybe it was just the cloudy weather that was affecting him, but he felt sluggish and drowsy; and it was only in the middle of the afternoon. He also had a strong desire to drink blood as well. Something was definitely wrong with him.

As he passed by a music store, he heard a very familiar tune. Soothing violin music was playing from the front of the shop. He turned and watched as a small crowd formed around the front of the store, murmuring words of approval.

He scanned the scene to find the musician responsible for the glorious melody. It was that girl from before, Crystal. She was playing the violin so skillfully one would think that she had been born doing it. What a performance!

Sasuke shifted his weight to one foot and listened intently. This music couldn't be described in words, or with feelings. It was not of this world. It calmed the soul, bewitched the mind and claimed the heart. It was spellbinding.

Something about this was so familiar. He had heard it somewhere before. Lulled by the enchanting music, Sasuke closed his eyes.

He was immediately thrown back into a memory as clear as day. He was dancing. Dancing across the ballroom floor with a beautiful female partner in his arms, catching the eyes of every dancer in the room. As the audience looked on with envy, they danced. Their dance was captivating, their routine flawless. It was as if they had been doing this for years. As he spun his partner into his chest, he caught a glimpse of her exquisite features. She had the face of an angel. The same face as the violinist and the girl from yesterday.

The one who bit him.

Crystal!

His eyes snapped open and he nearly toppled over in shock. He remembered everything. Crystal was a vampire. She bit him the other night. Now he was becoming a vampire, too!

As the song ended, her audience clapped and praised her. She set the instrument down and approached the only member of her audience who interested her.

"Hi, Sasuke."

Without a word Sasuke grabbed her wrist and pulled her into an alley. Once there and alone, Sasuke spoke. "You turned me into a vampire!"

"Oh, you remember!" She was unfazed by his harsh tone. "So does this mean that you're ready to start your training?"

"What training?!"

"Your vampire training, of course. You have to learn how to be a vampire, you know."

He glared at her. "Look, I'm not training with you and that's that! Now change me back!"

"Sorry, but I can't do that. It's irreversible."

Sasuke's heart sank. "What? So now I'm stuck like this?"

"What's the big deal? Vampires are stronger than humans. Now you've got so much power!"

Sasuke stared at her, his interest pique. "Power?"

"Of course!" She seemed very happy at his reaction to the word. "Vampires are super strong. You're at least ten times stronger now than you were before. If you like I can train you tonight. How's that sound?"

He stared at her unable to speak. He had been searching for power for a long time. He needed it. It's true that vampires are strong. Neither he nor Neji stood a chance against her and they were both very powerful. Maybe life as a vampire wouldn't be so bad.

Just then he became aware of a strange sensation. He felt gloved fingers as they coiled themselves around his hand. He jumped slightly as he realized that Crystal was holding his hand. Her red eyes sparkled with expectancy.

_God, she was so cute!_ Slight pinkish hues appeared on his fair skin around his cheeks as the Uchiha basked in her radiance. He couldn't help but blush in her presence. She was amazing to look at.

"Well? Are you up for training with me tonight?"

"… huh?" He said dazedly. Realizing that Crystal had just asked him an important question Sasuke gave a small shake of his head to clear his foggy brain. He had gotten lost in her eyes. "Er, sorry about that. Wh-what did you say?"

"I asked if you wanted to train with me tonight. I can help you control your powers and teach you the ways of a vampire."

Still holding her hand, Sasuke could feel himself shaking. He was acting out of his character. He was turning into Hinata! He had even started stuttering.

"Uh, w-well… I… I…" Why wouldn't this be easy? He had absolutely no problem whatsoever talking to girls before. She was different. He couldn't talk to her, not properly at least. Mustering up all his courage he finally answered. "I'll think about it. I'll uh… I'll meet you on the roof of my house tonight if I agree, ok? I-if I d-don't show up then it's a no. Deal?"

Of course he really meant to say 'yes' but for some reason he proposed a deal instead. He couldn't turn down her offer, but at the same time he just couldn't bring himself to say 'yes'.

As if she had expected his from him she nodded in agreement. "Fair enough. I'll see you tonight at your house. Oh, and you don't need your ninja tools, either. See you then."

With that she parted from Sasuke, pulling her hand out of his slack grip and turned the corner.

Sasuke stood there dazed, staring in the direction she left in. "Bye… Crystal…" he murmured his good-bye in a trancelike tone. His head was still light and his heart was aflutter.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

AWW! Sasuke is in love! But is it real? Now what?

Please review!


	5. Chapter 5 Training

**Chapter 5: Training**

It wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. An hour had passed since Sasuke had met Crystal on his rooftop for his night training. During that time Crustal had showed him the basics. His first challenge was to fly. It was surprisingly easy. This may have been due to his ninja training, learning to jump far distances in one leap.

"Ok, show me what you've got!" Crystal cheered encouragingly.

Time to show her the result of the hour's training. He kicked off from the ground and hovered ten feet above the ground. He looked down to see her reaction. She was smiling.

Feeling more confident, Sasuke decided to show off a little more. Focusing his strength, Sasuke plunged himself into the sky, giving her a fantastic display of zero-gravity acrobatics. Loving the feeling of his new weightlessness, Sasuke climbed higher. He twisted and turned his body in every direction, doing back-flips, zigzags, dashes, and finishing it off with a nosedive.

Completely satisfied with his performance, Sasuke returned to her side with a smirk.

"How was that?"

Crystal jumped for joy at his marvelous display. "Wonderful! You're a fast learner."

Sasuke chuckled through a smirk and brushed his hair out of his eyes.

This good feeling, however, was short lived as he, independent of his will, started to descend. Sasuke fought to stay airborne but it was useless. His feet touched roof tiles.

Sasuke looked up at his female instructor in bewilderment. He had been doing so well. What happened?

Crystal, on the other hand, didn't see this as too much of a problem. "Oh, don't worry, Sasuke," she explained. "You're just weak from hunger. Vampire powers get weak when we go without blood for too long. Our powers are also weaker during the day."

The Uchiha's head picked up. "Now, when you say 'hungry'…?"

"Yup. Blood. We need blood to stay alive and keep energized."

Sasuke's eye twitched. "There is no way I'm drinking someone else's blood. Find a different way."

"There is no other way. Human food does nothing for us. We just don't have a taste for it. Either we drink blood or we die. Your choice."

Needless to say Sasuke wasn't pleased with her answer. He had but two options: drink or die. He wasn't planning on dying anytime soon so the answer was clear.

"Ah, fine," he said through a sigh. "What do I do?"

She smiled. "Consider this to be part two of your training. I'm going to show you how to get human blood." She approached the edge of the roof and scanned the streets below. "First step: find your prey."

Sasuke followed her gaze to the deserted dirt road. _What prey? Everyone's in bed at this hour!_ Sasuke thought to himself. That's when he heard counting.

"5,986… 5,987… 5,988… 5,989… 5,990…"

He knew that unmistakable, incessant counting anywhere. Looking down, he could see the green beast himself jogging backwards; counting off each squat he performed every five steps.

_Idiot…_

Crystal looked at him hungrily, licking her lips. "He's exercising. It warms the blood." She turned to Sasuke. "It'll also be good for you to practice 'the eyes' on him since he's bound to be tired. It's so much easier to do it on someone who's already weak."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "… 'the eyes'?"

"Oh, yes. Vampires can put people into trances with our eyes. It's a good way to keep them still and erase their memories so they won't remember being attacked. We can control people through this, too."

"Is that what you used on me?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, but don't worry. Now that you're a vampire you're immune. The eye trick won't on you anymore."

He didn't know whether to feel relieved or used. However, he was happy to know that he, too, could now use the same trick himself on others."

The duo floated down to the street and waited for Lee to come around the corner. Sasuke was told to just watch and observe so that he could do it next after the blood was taken.

With Lee yards away, Crystal pounced. Lee jumped in surprise but didn't cower. Sasuke watched as Lee looked into her eyes and suddenly became very weary. His eyelids started to droop and he swayed slightly. Soon he just stood there very still and stared off into space.

Crystal motioned Sasuke close and pointed to Lee's expression. "This is what he should look like. Note the insipid look in his eyes and floppy body. This is a sure sign that he's in a trance."

Sasuke nodded. "So now what?"

"Now you feed." She forcibly tilted Lee's head to the side exposing his neck. "Go ahead. Dig in."

Sasuke shied away slightly. Was he really expected to do this? This would be his first victim. He had never done anything like this before. Sasuke knew he needed blood to live, but if he did draw blood from Lee's neck and drank it, it would mean excepting what he was. A part of him just wasn't ready for that.

His body craved nourishment. His chest felt hot and he couldn't avert his eyes from Lee's neck. As if pulled by an unseen force, Sasuke lurched forward. Standing inched from the entrance ninja, Sasuke inhaled the boy's damp scent.

After hesitating several moments, Sasuke brought his face closer to the ninja's neck. From behind his pink lips came a pair of white pointed fangs. His incomprehensible appetite was revealed in the threads of saliva dripping from his teeth. The tips of his fangs pressed against the soft skin above Lee's jugular giving little resistance until, finally, beads of red seeped out. Sasuke formed a tight seal around the fresh wound and sucked as if he were drinking from a juice box.

His first taste of fresh blood was like the breath of life. Human blood was amazing. It had such an indescribable, irresistible taste. It was addictive. Sasuke just couldn't get enough. He drank deeply, holding Lee's limp body close. _More...!_

He felt a tap on his shoulder, but ignored it. Blood was more important at the time. Again came the tapping followed by a voice. "Sasuke." It was Crystal. "Sasuke, you're killing him."

That snapped him out of it. He quickly pulled away resisting the urge to go back for a second helping. He gave his head a wild shake and panted. "I… I couldn't control myself."

"Yeah, that happens. If you drink anymore, you could kill him. On the plus side, you seem to have great willpower. Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it."

Lee gave a soft moan from behind. Both vampires turned to look at him.

"Ok, Sasuke, here's your chance. Before he completely wakes up, put him back in a trance."

Sasuke gawked at her. "I-I don't know how to do that!"

"Don't worry, it's easy. I'll walk you through it." She walked behind Lee to steady him. It looked as if he were about to fall over any second. Sasuke stood in front of him and waited for instructions. "Now look into his eyes and don't break contact."

Sasuke obeyed. Scrunching his face up in concentration, Sasuke stared deeply into Lee's lifeless eyes. Nothing was happening.

"Concentrate," Crystal whispered. "Focus."

Easier said than done. This wasn't nearly as easy as she had made it out to be. Learning to fly was so much easier and a lot more fun.

Lee's eyes stared to come back into focus, giving another soft moan. "…uaaah… ugh, S-Sas…uke..?"

This wasn't good. He recognized him.

Crystal whispered quickly, "Your eyes should feel as if they're glowing. Concentrate."

Sasuke poured all of his strength into his eyes. _It's like doing the __Sharingan, only different_, he told himself. _Just focus on the eyes… If I can do that then I can do this!_

All his concentration paid off once he became aware of a warm sensation emitting from behind his eyes. The feeling spread until his eyes succumbed to a strange glowing sensation. Lee's eyes grew heavy and soon he became comatose once again.

Sasuke blinked almost immediately losing the glowing feeling in his eyes. He stood back admiring his work and looked at Crystal. She was smiling at him approvingly.

"Well done," she said. The pure honesty in her voice made Sasuke blush. Just when he thought he had gotten rid of these strange new feelings they returned. He had long since given up on convincing himself that he did not have a crush on Crystal, but at the same time refused to admit he did.

He turned away to hide his blush. As he did so he noticed that Lee was in need of medical attention. "We should take him to the hospital."

Crystal looked down. "I suppose you're right. We can't just leave him here now can we?" Lifting Lee onto her back she nodded to her student. "Lead the way."

~*~*~

"Sasuke!"

With a groan of protest, Sasuke hid his face under his pillows and pulled the covers up over his head. After they had dropped Lee off at the hospital Sasuke had returned home to get a well-deserved day's sleep. Unfortunately, Naruto had other plans in mind for him.

He was currently being shaken awake by the blond pain in the ass. Sasuke batted him away with his hand, wanting nothing more than to sleep the day away.

"Come on!" Naruto whined in his ear. "Kakashi-sensei's waiting for us! Let's go!"

Sasuke ignored him as best he could, but Naruto was relentless.

In his aggravation, Naruto gave a swift kick to Sasuke's spine. Giving a small yelp of pain, Sasuke further buried himself under the sea of blankets and squirmed away from the source of the pain. Now completely fed up with his teammate, Naruto fished under the covers, grabbed Sasuke's legs and forcibly dragged him out.

Before he could fall to the floor, Sasuke threw off the blankets, spun around and smacked the blond's arms away. "What the Hell's your problem?!"

"Good. You're awake," Naruto said nonchalantly as he straightened up. "Let's get going, we're late."

Sasuke rubbed his neck and scratched the back of his head. "Late for what?"

"Duh! Training, of course. Kakashi and Sakura have been waiting for us. They sent me out to find you."

"How'd you get in?"

"Through your window." Naruto jerked a thumb over his shoulder at his means of entry.

The Uchiha looked at the clock on the wall. He blinked. "Is it really 11:30?"

Naruto nodded. "Yup. You over slept big time." He helped pulled a dazed Sasuke to his feet and tossed him a clean shirt and his ninja gear. "Hurry up."

~*~*~

Training went by a lot better than expected. Sasuke's performance was absolutely flawless. Even Kakashi praised him for his tremendous progress. He was a lot faster, stronger and stealthier than ever before. Of course Sasuke couldn't give him the real reason as to why this was so, so he merely told him that all his practice and training was paying off.

There was no mistaking that Kakashi was proud of him, but Sasuke couldn't help but wonder if his sensei suspected anything more. According to Crystal, vampire powers get weaker during the day and due to lack of blood. Right now Sasuke estimated his powers to only be at half strength. If being at half strength was enough to impress even Kakashi, Sasuke could only imagine how much he could do at full strength. The possibilities were endless.

Team 7 ended their training for an early dinner together. Sasuke looked up at the setting sun. Now that it was nearly nightfall and after all that training, Sasuke was starting to hunger for human blood. He stared at Sakura's exposed neck hungrily. Resisting the urge to bite her, he moved his eyes away. Naruto's neck was covered by the collar of his trademark orange jacket and Kakashi's neck was always covered up anyway by his dark mask. He just had to last a little while longer then he could feed.

On their way into town, Sakura brought up Tenten in the conversation.

"She's really upset," she said. "No sooner that Neji was released, Lee was emitted to the hospital! And it was for the same thing that Neji had, too! Tenten told me that the doctors found him outside the building late last night. She's so worried. She said that it was like someone's picking off members of Team Gai one by one."

Sasuke gulped. He couldn't help but feel guilty; after all, he was the one responsible. But he couldn't just ignore his vampire nature. He needed blood and that's that.

"Do they know who's doing this?" Naruto asked.

Sakura shook her head. "Nuh-uh. But the medical ninja are hoping that it's not some sort of new epidemic that's spreading around."

"How's Lee doing?"

"Tenten said he's fine. He's just resting up at the hospital. She told me that he slept 'til almost noon then tried to leave and make up lost training time. That idiot…"

Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief. So Lee was going to be ok after all. There was nothing to worry about. Crystal had informed him last night that after the biting, the victim would slip into a semi-coma like state in order for their bodies to recuperate. After words their bodies are weak and the victim feels drowsy for a while. They would also wake up without any memories of the events during the biting. However, this was only if they were in a trance. If the victim was not and was fully awake when bitten, then they would simply feel weak and lightheaded.

She also made a point of telling him not to bite the same person twice in a row. He needed to give them time to rest and rejuvenate any lost blood. At least he could alternate between victims. Crystal told him that it was alright to bite the same person the next day; he just needed to give them at least 24 hours to recover.

"You don't think that those guys who attacked Sasuke from the other mission followed us back here do you?"

"Actually, Naruto, I've kept in touch with the lord like I said I would and he informed me that the attacks had stopped after we had left," Kakashi said, never putting down his book.

The Uchiha looked at the ground.

"Oh, it's you again! HI!"

He looked up to see who Sakura was waving to. It was none other than Crystal. Sasuke's eyes widened slightly as she walked towards them waving back. He eyed her from head to toe. She was wearing black high-heeled boots, fishnet stockings, a short black dress, dark gloves that covered up to her elbows, and her long black hair was tied back in a braided ponytail.

_Wow, she's gorgeous!_ Sasuke couldn't help but swoon at the sight of her. He managed to catch himself before anyone could notice and forced himself to stand, as lightheaded as he was. Why, oh, why was he feeling this way? He didn't do this last night, did he?

"We were just going to get dinner. Want to come along?"

Crystal chuckled at the offer. "Oh, no, I wouldn't want to impose."

"Not at all!" Sakura insisted. "Please, it would be so much more fun." The pinked haired ninja looked up at Kakashi. "Oh, Kakashi-sensei, this is Crystal. We met just yesterday. Is it ok if she joined us?"

The masked ninja peered over the top of his book. "Sure, I don't mind." He glanced down at the young girl. "How do you do?"

"Fine, thank you." She curtsied in greeting. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Kakashi, right?"

"Exactly right."

She smiled sweetly and Sasuke's heart melted. "What do the rest of you think? Would you mind having me along?"

"Not at all!" Naruto piped up. "What about you, Sasuke?" Silence. "Sasuke?"

He wasn't moving. They boy continued to stare at Crystal as if he had never seen anything like her. When she turned towards him and smiled, his face grew hot. He raised his shoulders in an attempt to cover his blush, but to no avail. His cheeks got pinker and he turned away, bashfully.

Kakashi glanced down at his student from behind his precious book, curiously. He raised an eyebrow ever so slightly.

That's when Sasuke did something that was so out of his character: he stuttered.

Stuttering softly and fidgeting in a very Hinata-like fashion, he attempted to answer. "W-well, I…I… um, well, I… er, I… w-well, um…I…" _For God's sake, man, get it together!_ the inner-self he never knew he had was screaming. Swallowing the huge lump in his throat, he tried again. "Well, n-no, I… don't m-mind at all… sure…" His voice had gotten a lot higher than usual.

"My, I had no idea your voice could reach that pitch," Crystal giggled.

Biting his lip, Sasuke about-faced to hide his crimson face.

~*~*~

At dinner, Sakura and Naruto seemed to be the only ones eating. Kakashi was still reading his book in the corner and Sasuke already knew that Crystal wasn't going to partake in the meal. Realizing that there was no sense in buying food you're not going to eat, Sasuke didn't eat anything either.

The group talked and shared personal interests with each other. While Crystal spoke, Sasuke hung on her every word. As she giggled Sasuke could feel a powerful lust seethe through him. He forced the feeling down convincing himself that it was merely hunger and glanced at the clock, watching the second hand rotate.

When Crystal turned and winked at him, he felt his face grow very hot. Such soft, pink lips and tantalizingly sparkling eyes. She was dazzling, the spitting image of perfection in itself.

Sasuke sighed dreamily and rested his chin on his hand, unmindfully sticking his elbow in the butter.


	6. Chapter 6 Kiss

**Chapter 6: Kiss**

Sasuke was learning fast. After feasting on a villager's neck, he and Crystal continued the training until dawn. When it approached, she bid him farewell and left to seek safety from the sun. She had already warned Sasuke about the sunlight. Since his full transformation would take time, the sunlight wouldn't be deadly for him just yet. At this point it would only cause him slight discomfort and hurt his eyes. By the end of the week, however, it would probably burn him just as it does her. Either way he had to be carful.

On top of vampire training, he still had to train with his team. He decided to keep this a secret from everyone, so he had to do his best not to arouse suspicion. But living a double life was hard work.

It was barley 1:30 in the afternoon when he started feeling worn out. Today after a training exercise, their sensei spoke with each one of them on their development. Sasuke was up first. Kakashi praised him for his excellent work and terrific improvement, but he said the same thing he always told him about his teamwork. He always seemed to make a point of telling him that he was an excellent student but needed to work on his teamwork skills and stop thinking that he's above everyone else. Not wanting to argue, Sasuke simply grunted with a small shrug and looked away.

As Kakashi met with Sakura, Sasuke casually leaned back against the trunk of the tree he was under and looked up between the branches at the sky. The sky was so nice and blue, packed with white fluffy clouds. He let out a yawn. Something about the warm air and sunny day was making him sleepy.

He glanced over at Sakura and Kakashi. The masked ninja was still giving her pointers and pointing out all the things she had and needed to improve on. She gave an occasional nod coupled with either an 'oh, I see' or an 'uh-huh'. He wasn't really listening, his eyes were just wondering.

Sasuke let his mind wonder off as he slumped down between the tree roots, feeling very comfortable and heavy-eyed. His head started to bob and he let out a much bigger yawn. Unable to fight the feeling anymore, Sasuke closed his eyes allowing sleep to overtake him.

His catnap was a little too short for him. No sooner had he drifted off into a light doze did he hear an all too familiar voice calling his name.

"Sasuke?"

Wanting only to drift off again, Sasuke ignored Naruto's voice as best he could.

"Sasuke? Hello?" Naruto jabbed him in the forehead and Sasuke winced. "Hey, Sasuke!"

Without opening his eyes, Sasuke responded with an irritated, "What?"

"Could you get off me?"

"Nugh?" he grunted in his throat.

"I said get off me!"

He cracked an eye open. Sure enough, Sasuke was indeed sleeping on his teammate. He was resting his head on Naruto's shoulder, which was actually quite comfy. "Oh, sorry," he mumbled, barely moving his lips as he reluctantly removed his head from his boney pillow.

It wasn't long before the same thing happened again. Sasuke tipped over sideways onto Naruto once again.

"Sasuke, OFF!" Naruto shoved Sasuke's vapid form in an attempt to rouse the drowsy Uchiha, but to no avail. Instead all he got from the snoozing ninja was a faint 'nnughm'.

Sakura thought it was the cutest thing she had ever seen. _Sasuke sleeping on Naruto's shoulder? How cute!_ Then she got a bit jealous as she thought, _Hey, why can't he be sleeping on __**my**__ shoulder?! Dumb Naruto!_

Unable to watch any longer, Kakashi moved closer to the boys. He gently lifted Sasuke off of Naruto's body and propped him up against the tree at arm's length. "Sasuke," he called to him gently. "Come on, wake up."

Held by his shoulders, Sasuke's eyes fluttered open and took in the blurry image of his sensei staring back at him. "Hmm?" he grunted.

Kakashi examined him with his visible eye. Sasuke's eyes looked very heavy. He even had bags under them. His face looked very pale, too. "Are you alright, Sasuke?"

Sasuke shifted his listless body and yawned. "Yeah, I'm alright. 'M just tired. I didn't get much sleep last night," he mumbled truthfully.

Kakashi nodded sympathetically and helped him stand up. "I think that's about enough for today. You're dismissed."

"But wait a minute, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto whined. "You didn't give me my status report!"

He sighed. "There's nothing new with you. You've got talent, but no brains and you should stop trying to out-shine Sasuke. Keep focused on the mission at hand; get it done right and not faster than your own teammates. It's the same thing I always tell you."

Naruto turned away in a huff. Yet more criticism.

~*~*~

All he needed was a good day's sleep. Sasuke awoke at sunset feeling very refreshed. He showered, got dressed and waited for Crystal to arrive. Without a mirror that actually _worked_, Sasuke was forced to guess how he looked. He hoped he was presentable enough. He flattened his hair with his hands making sure that not a single strand was out of place.

"Wait a minute, what the Hell am I doing?!" Sasuke scolded himself for his bizarre behavior. "Since when do I care what I look like? I wear whatever the Hell I feel like! And why do I care what she thinks of me? She's just training me! She's the one that got me into this mess it the first place!" Then he thought about it for a minute. "Well, I did kind of ask for this… But only the training! She's the one who bit me without my consent! On the other hand, I have power now. Even Kakashi noticed a difference in me… And I do really want power. I kinda like it, too… the power I have now. I can do things I never could before. It's great."

For the first time in his life Sasuke found himself pacing around his room dwelling on these strange thoughts and feelings; feeling that he had never had before. This was quite the conundrum!

"Alright, that's it! I've made up my mind." Sasuke clenched his fist and placed it over his heart as if swearing and oath. "When she comes, it's going to be just business! I'm not going to do anything stupid or weird while she's here. I'm not going to give into any impulses of feelings at all. We're going to work and that's all. I'm not going to turn into some… some love-sick, puppy dog or anything!"

That's when Crystal chose to make her appearance. Standing on his porch, she waved and greeted him with an honest, sweet smile. "Good evening, Sasuke!"

Before he could stop himself, Sasuke unceremoniously snatched up the vase with a single flower on the table and presented it to her almost screaming, "Hello, Crystal honey!" and tripping over himself in the process.

_Stupid idiot!_ He cursed himself for his eccentric and apparently inevitable behavior.

She took the vase from his trembling grasp and studied the half-dead flower. She smiled and said, "Why, thank you, Sasuke. How thoughtful."

He giggled bashfully, wringing his shirt hem in both hands and blushing. _GOD! I'M DOING IT AGAIN!!_

She set the vase down and beckoned him out the open window. Sasuke, mentally emasculated by her feminine charm, obediently followed. 

~*~*~

Neji had been patrolling the streets of the village for some time now. He hadn't forgotten what had happened to him and Lee a few nights ago. He was determined to find the culprit and do them justice. As he rounded a corner, Neji caught a glimpse of someone skulking around to his left.

"Who's there?"

The shadowy figure approached and Neji got ready.

"Don't worry, it's just me." Sasuke stepped forward, illuminated by the streetlights.

Neji never put down his guard, but was somewhat relieved to see that it was only Uchiha. "What are you doing out so late?"

"I should be asking you the same thing."

Neji frowned. "I was checking things out. Making sure that it's safe. Now tell me what you're doing."

Sasuke smirked. "I was just looking for something to eat."

"Then you're out of luck. Most, if not all the restaurants are closed at this hour."

"That's ok. You'll do fine."

Neji flinched. "What?!" He turned and his clear eyes met with two glowing red ones. Sasuke was mere inches from his face, but Neji couldn't move his body to pull away. He was immobilized by those eyes.

"Neji…" Sasuke hissed through his fangs. "Look deeply into my eyes…"

The fear drained from his body and he felt strangely warm and relaxed. Those eyes were amazing. Completely at ease, Neji let his mind wonder off and go blank.

Sasuke stared into Neji's insipid eyes for a few more seconds then blinked. He was famished. Pulling down Neji's collar, he sank his teeth deep into his pale neck. He felt Neji flinch then lay quietly in his arms, relaying on the strength of his assailant to hold him up. Sasuke sucked out only as much as he needed and then passed him to Crystal so that she could feed.

He had taken such a penchant to ninja blood over the past few nights. That villager's blood was a little too bland for his taste and he was still recovering in the hospital. Apparently, having not been trained in the ninja arts, that man was so much weaker than the others. Ninja were strong so they seemed to be able to handle it a lot better than regular civilians. Besides, ninja blood was so tasty.

After she was finished and took Neji to the hospital, Crystal continued with Sasuke's training as planned.

They had completely lost track of the time. Crystal noticed the red horizon and gasped. "Oh, no! By the time I reach a cave it'll be too late! The sun's up!"

Sasuke couldn't just leave her out here and let her panic, now could he? An thought came to him at that moment. He gulped and made his proposal. "Crystal… you could… could… you could, uh… ssssst-st-stay… could s-stay… w… w-wi…" His inner-self was strangling him. _If you're gonna talk then talk, moron! Just don't say anything stupid!_ Taking a huge breath Sasuke blurted out, "You can stay with me at my house!" _Like __**that**__! That was stupid, you idiot!_

She turned. "Really?"

"Y-yes," he squeaked.

"Alright!" she chirped, grabbed his hand, and skipped towards his house.

Sasuke looked down. Her warm, gloved hand was firmly wrapped around his. _She's… touching me!_ His mind was in utter bliss.

Once inside, Crystal closed and locked all the windows and pulled all the shades down so that no light would get in. After that she made her way towards the bathroom. Sasuke merely watched her in silent awe, his mind still reeling. He staggered over to the bed and sat down.

_There's a girl in my house_. Those words spun in his head for several hazy moments. Why did he invite her here in the first place? He couldn't think straight anymore, at least not while she was around. He had to resist all urges to do _anything_. Since he wasn't sure just what would happen he couldn't specify.

Crystal emerged from the bathroom wearing nothing but one of Sasuke's long shirts.

He shrieked and fell off the bed at the sight of her. Sure, the shirt made a good nightdress since it covered 'everything', but it showed off nearly all of her long legs _and_ it was _his_ shirt!

Crawling back onto the bed he stammered in a high voice, "No, no. No, no, no! Not that! Why are you wearing that?!"

She looked down. "Because I don't have any night clothes of my own and this is a good size. I found it in the bathroom. You don't mind, do you?"

"Yes, I do mind very much! Now take it off!" She raised her arms and started to tug at the navy blue shirt. Sasuke covered his eyes and screamed, "NO! Not now! Not here!"

She giggled. "You're so picky." Looking at him expectantly she added, "So where do I sleep?"

He pointed to the other side of the room. "Couch."

Obviously disappointed at this, Crystal's eyes wondered over to his queen-sized bed. "What about the bed? Can't I sleep there?"

"No! _I_ sleep there! It's my bed."

"We can share can't we?"

"NO! Y-you can't sleep with me!" His face was getting redder by the minute. If this conversation went on any longer, he didn't know what he'd do!

Seeming to have given up, Crystal moved across the room to the coach. Pulling out a book from his shelf, she sat down and began reading silently.

With the sense of triumph, Sasuke pulled back the covers and crawled into bed. He didn't shut his eyes. He couldn't, not with her in the room. He kept glancing over his shoulder at her. This was very awkward.

She turned a page in the book and put her legs up on the couch cushions.

Sasuke's eye twitched. What in the world made him volunteer, contribute, and even allow her to spend the day at his house?! This was ridiculous! Utterly, utterly ridiculous!

What was so special about her anyway? She always dressed in dark colors, she drank blood and she's just down right weird! She had long black hair, big red eyes, really pale skin, and full pouty, pink lips that almost… always… smiled.

Come to think of it, her lips were very sexy, especially when they were curved into a smile. They were so pink and luscious… Her skin was so soft and flawless looking. She had the most attractive long pale legs he had ever had the pleasure of looking at.

His inner-self mentally slapped him in the face. _What the Hell are you thinking?! Snap out of it!_ He was starting to let her get to him again. He threw a glare in her direction.

As if feeling it being hurled toward her, Crystal looked up at him. He froze like a deer caught in headlights. She gave him a soft, sweet, gentle smile and his heart melted on contact. _Wow, she's beautiful_.

Feeling guilty about keeping a huge bed all to himself, Sasuke's love-fogged brain started to think of a suitable solution.

"Uh, Crystal..?"

"Hmm?" she purred from her place on the couch.

He looked down shyly, and blushed. "You, uh… can share my bed, if you want. I-I-I have room…"

Without a word, Crystal stood up from the couch, closed the book and came over. She sat down next to Sasuke and smiled. "Thank you."

Maybe this was a bad idea. What possessed him to suggest that anyway?

She leaned closer to his body and Sasuke could feel her warmth. More nervous than ever before, Sasuke avoided eye contact and blushed even more.

There was something strange about her. Something… calming. He glanced down at her out of the corner of his eyes. Her hand was reaching closer to his. Turning his head, his nose found her hair. He inhaled her sweet aroma and sighed contentedly. Her hair smelled like wildflowers. He unconsciously rested his head on hers. Her scent was intoxicating.

He felt her hand on his and, to his surprise, squeezed it back. He didn't know why he did it, he just did. Her gloveless hand was so soft and delicate.

"Sasuke?"

His name sounded so good coming from her lips. He faced her. Their eyes met.

She was a radiant angel sent from heaven itself. She was absolutely flawless and enormously beautiful. He couldn't resist her feminine charms. He was overcome by a strong burst of desire. He longed for her. He needed her.

As she leaned in close, Sasuke's lips automatically puckered. To his surprise, she gave him a small peck on the cheek instead.

He blinked.

Her lips were so soft. He traced his finger tips over the spot on his cheek where she had planted the kiss. It was nice. He liked it. But it was short, too short for him.

He was curious for her now.

Moving on a new, mysterious impulse, he bent down closed his eyes and kissed her on the lips.

This one lasted for several seconds.

They parted.

Time was frozen for Sasuke. He didn't know what had happened. He licked his lips, tasting the lingering flavor of her luscious lips.

That kiss was… amazing! His first kiss from a girl tasted so sweet. It was exhilarating.

The sleeping beast within Sasuke awoke with a triumphant roar. White-hot passion burned in his chest. His heart was racing. He needed more. That one kiss just wasn't enough.

Staring into her red eyes, Sasuke could feel the lustful beast take over. He lunged forward locking lips with her once again. He grabbed her arms and pinned her to the bed, pushing her into the soft mattress. He pressed his chest against hers and slipped his hand behind her head pushing it forward, deepening the kiss. Wedging his other hand between her and the mattress, Sasuke managed to coil his arm around her torso. Her body was so soft and warm.

The kiss lasted for several seconds, then that one deep, passionate kiss turned into a whole series of them. Sasuke hugged her close, moaning pleasurably through the kisses.

She was like a drug and he couldn't get enough.


	7. Chapter 7 lust

**Chapter 7: Lust**

By this time, everyone in the Leaf village was up and going about their day as usual. Well, almost everyone.

Sasuke was still fast asleep in his warm, spacious bed in the dark bedroom. He felt wonderful. A strange, indescribable feeling washed over him as he lay there beneath the covers. He inhaled deeply letting out a contented sigh and tilted his head to the side. He never wanted to wake up. He wanted to lie there forever in this wonderful bliss. He drew his arm tighter around his pillow and rested his face on its hairy texture.

Wait a minute.

Since when did pillows have hair? And when did they suddenly grow bones and flesh?

His eyes snapped open and he looked down. He was in bed with Crystal laying on his chest, her arm draped across his waist and the other tucked under his back. His left arm was wrapped around her hips and the other had a hold of her free hand. They were both tangled up in a sea of blankets and Sasuke just became aware of another thing: She was still wearing his shirt, but he wasn't.

In his panic, Sasuke gave a high-pitched shriek and tumbled out of bed, landing with a loud thud on the wooden floor in a crumpled heap.

Crystal woke with a start and peered over the side of the bed. "What's the matter?" Her innocent expression only severed to irritate Sasuke further.

Scrambling to his feet, Sasuke threw his arms about his exposed chest and sputtered, "W-where're my clothes?!" He was relived to see that he was still wearing pants, but he still wasn't happy about being topless. "What happened to my shirt?"

She pointed to the corner of the room. "You flung it behind the chair in a fit of passion," she explained. "You were a little frisky this morning." Seeing his jaw drop she quickly added, "But don't worry, you never took off your pants of anything. Just the shirt… Oh, and your armbands. They're over there." She pointed to two different places. One hung from a lampshade and the other was wedged behind the pillows.

Sasuke had never felt such a mixture of confusion, frustration, embarrassment and rage before in his life. He wanted answers. "What did you do? What happened to me?"

Much to his great annoyance, Crystal seemed very nonchalant when she answered, "Nothing."

"Tell me NOW!" he demanded. "What happened? Why were you in bed with me? And why the Hell am I topless?!"

Sensing his bewilderment and terror, Crystal got serious. Sitting in the middle of his bed, she revealed the truth. "You were doing your job. You're my mate after all."

Sasuke cocked his head to the side, asking for clarification.

"You're male, I'm female, and we're both vampire and the only ones in this village. You've got to pair up with someone and I'm the only natural choice. I'm your mate, and this morning you were just displaying your affection to me."

Sasuke's jaw hit the floor. "WHAT?! I never agreed to that! Wh-what are you saying?!" His thoughts were racing and his body was shaking.

"It was instinct, Sasuke. You don't need to concede to it. It just happens."

His mind was buzzing. This was all happening too fast. He didn't understand.

"But wait a minute, what do you mean 'instinct'?"

"Oh, you don't know, do you?" He shook his head. "When a vampire bites a human and turns them into a vampire, a special bond exists between them. Since I bit you, you have gotten close to me and developed feelings for me, being opposite genders and all. You can't help yourself."

Sasuke swayed slightly. This was hard to take in.

"How should I put this?" she pondered. "You see, your emotions are going haywire. The only way to keep them in check is to express them. The best way to do this is through kissing. That's what we did today. That's why you're calmer now."

"Calmer?!"

"Ok, bad choice of words, but you see my point. If you don't vent your emotions through kissing, then you become uncontrollable and act out on impulse. You'll become a, uh… a love-crazy wild man and attack me in a fit of passion the next time you see me."

This wasn't something he wanted to hear. "Isn't there anyway around this?"

"No, we have to kiss so you can vent. If you don't…" She trailed off. "On the plus side, it's very pleasurable for the both of us."

He glared at her. There was no way he'd become her love-puppet. He had to think of a solution fast.

Finally, he came to a conclusion: If he only got that way when he saw her, then he'd just stop seeing her.

~*~*~

For the last two and a half days, Sasuke had successfully avoided her. During this time, he didn't see of speak to her. This strategy seemed to be working. He felt no lustful urges at all. However, without anyone to train him, Sasuke had to learn to train himself. He hadn't learned anything new, so he just practiced what he had already learned from her.

On the third day was a whole different story. It was a good cloudy day and Sasuke couldn't be happier that the sun wasn't shining in his sensitive eyes. He and the other members of squad 7 where heading into town for lunch.

"I haven't seen Crystal around lately," Sakura was saying. "I hope she's ok."

_Yeah, I bet_ Sasuke thought to himself bitterly. There was no way he'd make-out with a vampire girl everyday just because she said he did. What was the worst that could happen?

That's when Sakura called out, "Hey, Crystal! Over here!"

_Oh, dear God, no!_

Crystal ignored Sasuke completely and immediately started talking to Sakura.

Good, at least she was leaving him alone. Maybe if this kept up, he wouldn't have anything to worry about.

Then why couldn't he stop staring at her? _Oh, no…_

Naruto stood there tapping his foot on the ground impatiently. "Come on, I'm hungry!" he whined.

"Then go ahead, Naruto! I'll catch up," Sakura threw over her shoulder. She went back to chatting with Crystal.

Naruto pouted. "Man, what is it with girls anyway? All they ever want to do is talk. Right, Sasuke?" He didn't answer. "Sasuke?"

He was staring at Crystal with uncharacteristically large eyes.

That was strange.

Naruto approached him and looked at his pale face. He was staring straight ahead, face frozen with the expression of shock. Naruto poked him in the arm and received no response. He jabbed him harder, and still got nothing. Sasuke was a statue.

This was very bizarre; so unlike Sasuke! To make matters even stranger, now his face was turning red. Naruto put a hand to Sasuke's face. He was so hot! What could be causing him to burn up like this?

That's when Sasuke's face spread into a mischievous grin. His eyes went big, brows raised, and the goofy smile got wider.

"Sas…"

Before Naruto could finish, Sasuke had knocked him aside and bounded forward. He pounced onto Crystal's smaller body knocking her to the ground. Sakura jumped back with a shriek of surprise. Naruto spun around and watched as the lustful display unfolded.

Sasuke straddled her hips and pushed her shoulders into the dirt, kissing her furiously. Crystal seemed to be trying to push him off of her, but Sasuke held fast to her body. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed his chest against hers. They rolled over each other, fighting for dominance. Now Sasuke was on the bottom. As she pulled away from his kiss, his arms coiled behind her neck and pulled her back in, pressing his lips tightly against hers once more. Again they rolled and when they stopped, Sasuke was on top.

Naruto was in shock. Was his rival really doing this in the middle of a public street? He turned to the others. Sakura's face seemed to be stuck in a silent scream as the color drained from her face. Kakashi's visible eye was abnormally wide and the book he was reading nearly slipped from his slack grip. He wasn't moving a muscle.

The kissing frenzy continued. This emotional hurricane swept away all of Sasuke's dignity and composure. He couldn't stop himself. If there was anything hotter than her it was him. All this kissing was working up a sweat. He was starting to overheat. Still kissing her, Sasuke stripped off his arm bands and threw them to the ground. It wasn't enough. His sopping wet shirt was sticking to his clammy back. Unable to take it anymore, Sasuke broke the kiss for a moment and ripped off his shirt. He threw it over his shoulder and went back to kissing his angelic beauty. He nuzzled her neck, caressed her body and moaned passionately through the kisses.

This was almost too much! Naruto couldn't bear the sight anymore. He stepped forward calling his name. "Sasuke!" Said ninja batted him away, still kissing. He just wouldn't stop! Sasuke was completely out of control.

Naruto was about to drag Sasuke off her body when the strangest thing happened.

As if a giant pipe had sprung a leek, a massive title wave of water washed over them. The icy-cold water drenched Sasuke and his lip-candy from head to toe. They shrieked and hollered in surprise, flailing around as the abrupt flood engulfed them.

Naruto spun around to discover the source. Standing by the side of a building was none other than Kakashi himself, holding a large hose. With the two kissers completely soaked, he turned off the hose and set it back down.

The drenched Sasuke coughed and sputtered. Crawling off to the side and shaking himself like a dog, leaving a sopping wet Crystal to herself, he slowly looked up.

Kakashi looked less than pleased. "You," he drawled dangerously. "Come with me."

He didn't know what to do. He was still trying to make sense of what just happened. After turning to Crystal, then to the muddy ground, he picked himself off the ground and followed Kakashi silently, hanging his head.

Finally regaining her senses, Sakura turned to asked Crystal what that was all about, but she was long gone. It was as if she had disappeared. Naruto wanted to talk to her, knowing how hard it must've been for her to watch her crush kiss another girl. But he decided against it. Instead he watched Sakura's back shrink into the distance as she made for home.

Meanwhile, Sasuke was wringing out his damp pants and waited for Kakashi to speak. His sensei tossed him his moist shirt and arm bands and ordered him to get dressed. He wrung out his soaking wet shirt and held it up to his chest, not wanting to put it on just yet.

Kakashi seemed to be having a hard time with this. Never had he witnessed Sasuke in such a disgraceful situation. Never ever! Seeing Kakashi pace and avoid eye contact was a bit unnerving. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but closed it again, shaking his head. Sasuke waited. Again he opened his mouth, but he shut it that time, too. This was indeed an awkward situation. How in the world was Kakashi going to lecture his student on something that was so… so bizarre? So creepy? So… unlike Sasuke?

He scratched the back of his head and sighed. "Well…" he began. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Sasuke shrugged.

Still caught off guard by the strange spectacle, Kakashi took his time in finding the right words. This wasn't going to be easy. How do you lecture an Uchiha on such an, ahem, touchy subject?

"Is there anything you want to talk about?"

Again, Sasuke shrugged, avoiding eye contact. He had never been so humiliated in his life; and in front of everyone!

"Well, you see, Sasuke…" Kakashi trailed off as if searching for words. "I think it's great that you've found someone, ahem… _special_ to you, but could you try to keep your feelings a little more private?"

Oh, no. He wasn't going to talk about the birds and the bees was he?

"It's no business of mine what you do in your free time. In fact, I don't really care what you guys do with your personal lives…"

Sasuke hoped that that was as far as he'd go. He was wrong.

"… but could you perhaps keep it to yourself and not put on a show in the road?"

He shut his eyes in horror. Did he _really_ have to bring that up?

"I mean, we all have our desires. As men we have our manly urges, too."

Sasuke winched. Did he _REALLY_ have to say _THAT_?

"Sometimes our hormones get out of control, especially when we see a cute girl, but we need to keep those feelings in check. Sometimes a good way to do it is to have a cold shower. That's one reason why I doused you."

He cringed at his words. He couldn't bear any more.

"Public display of affection is ok, but what you did was… a little uncalled for."

"OK! I get it!" Sasuke stopped him right there. He would have stopped him sooner, but he was still in a state of shock. "It won't happen again! I promise."

Kakashi nodded, apparently relived that he was cut off. "Good. See that it doesn't." His eyes shifted from side to side and he seemed to be somewhat embarrassed about this whole thing. He looked at his watch. "Well, I think we handled that pretty well. You guys are dismissed. Later!" With that he zoomed off.

Sasuke slapped on his wet shirt and stuffed his armbands into his pockets. This was humiliating! He felt so mortified. Was he really going to act like that every time? He had thought that avoiding her would be a good thing, but if he acted like that just after two days what would happen if he went without seeing her for a week? He was aware of what he was doing, but he couldn't control himself. It was like he was possessed by a horny animal or something. He banged his head against the wall and groaned.

"You have to keep emoting or this will happen."

He turned and saw Crystal standing behind him looking almost sympathetic.

"Go away!" he ordered. He didn't want to see her.

"Sasuke, you don't understand." She laid a hand on his wet back and stroked him in a calming manner. He liked her touch. He let his eyes droop and listened. "You're full transformation is almost complete. By the time it's over you probably won't act out the way you just did. We'll still need to kiss, but you won't be as off the wall as you were today. Believe me, I know. I've been a vampire a lot longer than you. I know what I'm doing."

Now much calmer than he was before, Sasuke turned to face her. "Crystal, I don't like having my emotions played with."

"I'm not playing with them. It's instinct."

"Maybe, but maybe there's another way. Isn't there some other way we can do this so I don't have to kiss you all the time, just be normal?"

"Sasuke, I'm a walking Aphrodisiac! You can't help yourself! The longer you're away from me the harder it's gonna get." She had never raised her voice to him before. It was kind of scary. "Look, we don't have to kiss every night, but you can't stop seeing me. That'll make things worse. I can help you but only if you let me. Soon, this'll become second nature to you."

She extended her hand for him to take. He looked at it. Should he accept this? She did seem to know what she was doing. And he did need a trainer. Maybe she was right. After all, she was standing right in front of him and he wasn't going crazy.

After several thoughtful moments, Sasuke finally took her hand.

Looking into her damp face, he could feel her spirit quell the storm in his heart. He felt reassured. This was ok. He could handle this. As long as she was at his side, he'd get through it. He trusted her.

Soon he'd be able to tame his inner beast and defeat any obstacle that stood in his way.

"Training tonight?" he asked softly.

"You bet," she giggled. "And tonight I'll show you something new."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Yay! Another one up! How was it? Review people! I live for it! WHOO!

Sorry, I'm a little crazy today. Next one's coming up soon! ^-^


	8. Chapter 8 music

**Chapter 8: Music**

They picked up the training that night at Sasuke's house. He was getting much better and Crystal called him a natural, which he naturally blushed at. Best of all Sasuke didn't feel any lustful impulses yet that night. He seemed to be over it. Maybe that had something to do with that morning. Either way, he didn't want to be reminded of it. It was far too embarrassing.

Sasuke lay down on the roof and looked up at the star-filled sky. "I'm so hungry."

"Then, let's find some food."

Without sitting up, Sasuke looked at her. "Isn't there an easier way to do this? The medical ninja are getting suspicious."

She turned and sat down at his side. "I'm afraid not. There is another reason why we should have blood as often as possible."

"Another reason? But you said that there were only two: so we remain powerful and alive. Not you're telling me that there's a third?"

"No, not like that," she explained. "I mean what happens to us when we go too long without it. There's a reason why I don't know how long a vampire can go without blood until they die. It's because no one has ever made past a few days before they suck again."

"Why's that?"

"It's because of 'bloodlust'. It's something that we feel that drives us to feed. If we go too long without blood, the bloodlust makes us find it." She turned away. "That's when we get kind of scary. We turn into blood-sucking monsters! When we're in that state, we'd even kill out best friends just to get blood. We might even suck a person dry and kill them when we feed."

Sasuke sat up. "So normally we don't kill people for blood, but the bloodlust makes us?"

"If it gets to be that bad, then yes. That's why we must feed as often as possible so that won't happen. It clouds our judgment. Like I said, we'd kill our best friend just to get it."

He looked at his feet. "Oh, I see."

"Don't worry! It won't happen unless we go for days without it. As long as we feed every night we should be fine." She stood up. "Well, let's get going. We should find someone knew tonight."

Sasuke looked around. "But there's no one around."

"Well, let's look."

And so they did. Sasuke was a bit annoyed at the fact that Crystal insisted on looking for blood from people who weren't around. The streets were deserted. At this hour everyone was sure to be in bed.

She and Sasuke stopped on a rooftop to chat. "I guess you're right," she said. "There is no one around. But at least now I can show you one of the new techniques I promised you."

"Such as?"

She looked in the window of the house across the street. She motioned for him to follow and flew over to the house.

Sasuke peered inside the window to see what had caught her gaze.

Inside Shikamaru was fast asleep in his small bed, covers wrapped around his body and an arm tucked under his pillow. He seemed to be in a deep sleep.

The Uchiha looked up at Crystal who was smiling hungrily at Shikamaru. She turned to Sasuke and winked.

"Wait a minute," Sasuke said. "How are we supposed to suck his blood? The windows are locked up tight and he's in there asleep."

"There's more than one way to control a person."

With that she turned back to the window. She took a deep breath and started to sing softly.

Sasuke blinked. This was unexpected, but enjoyable. He had never heard her sing before. It was beautiful. She had the voice of an angel. He couldn't understand a single word she was singing. Perhaps it was due to the fact that her song had no words. It seemed that she was vocalizing and nothing more. No words, just a tune.

Sasuke's mind started to wonder off as he listened to her song. He started to fantasize about her in several different situations. He pictured them dancing under the stars, eating a fancy dinner together, and cuddling by a cozy fire. When he started to imagine what she would look like with her top off, he mentally slapped himself in the face.

In order to distract himself from further daydreams, he forced himself to look in the window of Shikamaru's bedroom. He was behaving strangely. Shikamaru tossed slightly and his eyebrows twitched. A few seconds later, he peeled back the covers, swung his legs over the side and stood up.

Sasuke held his breath. What was going to happen next?

Shikamaru clumsily made his way over to the window. Strange; judging from his sways, it appeared that Shikamaru was sleepwalking. He unlocked the window and opened it wide, allowing the two vampires more than enough entry room.

Sasuke looked at Shikamaru's eyes. They were glazed and half-lidded. So he _was_ sleepwalking.

Or maybe not. Sasuke turned back to Crystal who was still singing. That must've been it! She was the one doing this to him.

"You mean you can hypnotize people from a distance without looking into their eyes?"

As her song came to an end, Shikamaru's vapid form started to sway and he fell forward onto the windowsill.

"Yes, I can do that," Crystal explained in a whisper so as not to wake the dozing ninja. "I can use music to control people. To an extent, of course. It's a good way to get pray you can't see to come to you, very much like this." She held Shikamaru's limp body in her arms, offering him to Sasuke. "Go ahead."

"Nah," he shook his head. "Ladies first."

She smiled and took the first bite, causing Shikamaru to wince but never wake up.

~*~*~

"No, no, like this. Ahem… AhhhAHahh! Now you."

"AHh-ack!" Sasuke's voice cracked. Ever since he had seen Crystal's performance, he was determined to learn how to do it, too. Controlling people through music was a good thing to learn; it could prove useful in the future. Right now Crystal was giving Sasuke singing lessons in his room, but it was going poorly. Sasuke couldn't sing the high notes and every time he tried his voice would crack. It wasn't very musical at all.

Crystal sang scales for him to copy. Her voice was so beautiful, it made Sasuke feel a little jealous. He wished he could sing like her.

"Maybe we're going about this the wrong way," she said, scratching her head. "There are other ways to do this besides singing. What instruments can you play?"

Sasuke blinked. "Well, I don't know. I've never really played anything before. A flute once, but I didn't think it was very good."

"That's ok. I can teach you how to play any instrument you want. So what'll it be?"

Again Sasuke looked down and blinked, thinking. "What would be best?"

"Almost anything. Your pick."

After a minute Sasuke answered. "Maybe a… piano… or a violin?"

"Good choices!" She clapped her hands together and giggled. "And I know just the place we can find them."

The vampires broke into the music store and began selecting their instruments. Crystal handed Sasuke a violin and showed him how to hold it. From there, she showed him all the different finger positions and strings. She started him off with simple songs and then moved on to more challenging ones. When Sasuke got bored with the violin, she showed him how to play the piano.

"Can you play a cello?"

"No. I don't want to anyway."

She looked at him in surprise. "Oh? How come?"

"I don't know. Just the sound of something with a lot of base to it makes me feel kind of tired."

"It makes you drowsy?"

"I guess. When I was little, my mom used to put on music to calm me down when it was time for a nap. She would always put on something with a lot of base like a cello, because that always seemed to work. I don't know why."

"I see. That's a cute story. What happened to your mom anyway?"

He laid his hands on top of the piano keys, silent for a moment. "She died."

There was another long pause before he heard Crystal answer sympathetically, "Oh. I'm sorry to hear that. I know how you feel. My clan was wiped out, too. That's why I'm trying to rebuild it."

Sasuke didn't say anything.

Their music lessons lasted until dawn. Sasuke once again offered his home to her and she accepted. Sasuke seemed to have a natural talent for musical instruments, but needed more practice.

~*~*~

While Crystal rested in his room, Sasuke trained for most of the morning with his team. He was getting better at everything. His flying was flawless and his superhuman strength and speed left little to be desired. Of course, he had to be carful with how much he showed in front of Kakashi and the rest of his squad.

Sasuke sat under a tree and rested. The sun was so irritating; it gave him a headache. He thought about Crystal back at his house. She had told him to practice his vampire powers whenever he could during the day, but to keep in mind that his powers are weakened considerably during the day. At any moment they could stop working.

Sasuke's mind then floated back to Crystal and he smiled. Come to think of it, she had been with him all this time. She had been training him and teaching him everything he needed to know about being a vampire. She was even giving him music lessons. She had done so much for him but what has he done for her? Sure, he had lent her his house to stay in during the day, but it wasn't enough. He wanted to do something else. He wanted to do more for her.

He couldn't shake the feeling. It consumed his entire being, willing him to do something nice for her. Something she'd appreciate, something she'd love.

Sasuke stood up and walked into town. Maybe he'd get an idea if he went out window-shopping. He didn't have to wait long for an inspiration. Passing numerous stores, Sasuke couldn't turn without seeing something promising. Unfortunately, a lot of his inspiration was in vain. Flowers wouldn't do since she needed dark places, and flowers needed light. They'd die in no time. Candy seemed like a good idea; after all, girls love candy. But Crystal was a vampire. Unless the store carried blood-flavored candy, there was no way she was going to eat it.

Nearing the end of his rope, Sasuke walked toward his house to ask her what she'd like. It wouldn't be much of a surprise, but at least he wouldn't get the wrong thing. This was so troubling. In all the time he had known her, after all the time they spent together, Sasuke didn't know that much about her. What would she like? What would make a good present for her?

Out of the corner of his eye, something caught Sasuke's attention. He turned and saw a clothing store with many manikins modeling different outfits in the windows.

That's it! Clothing! Girls loved shopping for clothes, didn't they? It was perfect.

Even though Sasuke knew what to get, he couldn't budge his body. He knew why. That particular store happened to be a _**girl's**_ clothing store. Sasuke gulped. This was a bad idea from the start. How was he supposed to get in there? It wasn't like he wasn't allowed in; it was just that it would be weird for a _guy_ to walk into a _girl's_ store to go shopping _without_ a girl. What if they stared at him?

That's when he remembered something: She had told him to practice his vampire powers whenever he could during the day. This was a golden opportunity. What trick should he use? Not flying or super strength. Speed seemed unnecessary… The eyes seemed good enough. That was a good idea.

Seeing his chance, Sasuke looked around to see if anyone was watching him and crossed the street. He held his breath and went in.

The inside of the store was very feminine. The walls were painted in light tints of pink, purple and blue with floral prints wrapping around the store and butterfly murals hanging from the ceiling. The store was filled with girl clothes and knickknacks. Purses, make-up and candy were displayed near the register. Shoes and skirts lined the walls and the rest of the store was packed full of pants, shirts, dresses and everything else a girl would wear.

Sasuke's eye twitched. This was a bad idea. He turned to leave when he heard someone call him from behind.

"May I help you?"

Sasuke flinched. He turned and saw a male clerk standing behind him. Well, at least it was a guy… Sasuke didn't think that he could bring himself to talk to a girl in this situation.

"I'm, uh… looking for something…" he mumbled.

"Yes, what is it?"

"It's for… for…"

"A girl?"

"Uh-huh." He could feel himself sweating already. He just wanted to get this over with as soon as possible.

"Well, you've come to the right place. What are you looking for? What's the occasion?"

Sasuke gulped. "Just a… gift. Something nice, you know…" He thought for a moment and came up with an idea. "She wears a lot of dresses… I guess one of those would do."

"Great. What kind of dress?"

"Huh?"

"What kind?" Sasuke didn't know that there were different kinds. A dress is a dress, isn't it? "We have short, long, low-cut, high-top, long-sleeve, short-sleeve, sleeveless, strapless, ribbons, laces, frills, sundresses, casual, ball gowns, formal gowns, party dresses, night dresses, wedding dresses-"

Sasuke stopped him there. "Something nice. Like, uh… casual or something. Something she can walk around in."

The clerk smiled patiently. "What color dress?"

Sasuke flinched again. Color? He hadn't thought of that. He had no ides what her favorite color was. "Uh… well… She wears a lot of dark colors."

"Ah." The clerk motioned for Sasuke to follow him. They moved to the back of the store and gestured to the dresses lining the wall. "Take your pick."

Sasuke scanned the dresses on the wall for something suitable for Crystal. Some of them looked promising, but he wasn't sure. The one she had on at the ball where they had first met was nice, but he couldn't remember what color it was. Was it dark purple or dark blue? She already had a black dress.

That's when he spotted one near the top: An emerald, long-sleeved dress, slightly low in the front. "That one." Sasuke pointed it out to the clerk.

"Excellent choice!" He took it down and handed it to Sasuke. "Is this correct? What size is she?"

He blinked. "I-I don't know." He thought for a moment. "I think she's about my height, give or take an inch."

"Then this is the one you want." The clerk handed him a second dress which he swopped for the first. "If that's all, I can ring you up here."

"Yeah, thanks," Sasuke mumbled, following him to the front of the store.

"It must be awkward for you to go shopping for your girlfriend all by yourself," the clerk said. "All the girls are on brake right now. I'm covering for them."

"She's not my _girlfriend_!" Sasuke hissed through his teeth. _Aw, who am I kidding? _

After the dress was rung up, the clerk told Sasuke the price. Girls _pay_ this much for dresses?! But Sasuke had no intention of spending his own money on something like this. Now seemed like a good opportunity to use his power.

The clerk drummed his fingers on the counter impatiently. He expected Sasuke to pay now. "Money, please."

"Yes, of course." Sasuke feigned rummaging through his wallet for money. As he opened it, he looked up, eyes aglow. "Oh, I do have a favor to ask of you."

Their eyes met and Sasuke could feel the man's defenses fall.

"Could you take care of this for me? I don't really feel like paying. But as far as you know and if anyone asks, I did pay for this."

Like an obedient robot the man answered. "Sure, no problem." He handed Sasuke the bag.

Sasuke blinked and took the bag from him, braking eye contact. "Thanks a lot."

The clerk blinked and uttered, "Uh, sure. Umm… have a nice day."

Excellent. He didn't remember a thing. Sasuke left with his prize feeling more confident than ever. This was great! He was mastering his powers in no time, and he had a nice gift for Crystal. Ok, maybe that was stealing, but at least someone was paying for it, so who cares who it was? What's done is done.

Sasuke was three blocks away from his house when he felt a presence at his side.

"Hey, Sasuke, wait up!"

It was Naruto. The blond idiot threw his arm around his shoulder and laughed in his ear.

"Go away," Sasuke growled. He was in no mood for this.

Naruto noticed Sasuke shoving a small bag behind his back. What was he trying to hide?

"What were you doing? Shopping?" He had noticed the bag. "What'd you get?"

He made a grab for the bag but Sasuke pulled it out of his reach. He couldn't let Naruto see it. "Go away, I said! Leave me alone!"

"Aw, come on, Sasuke! Just a little peek?"

"NO!"

He lunged again for the bag, and Sasuke yanked it away. The immature blond started to climb over Sasuke's back to get to the bag. Sasuke twisted and turned, trying desperately to keep the bag out of Naruto's reach. Naruto laughed, Sasuke snarled. Sasuke pushed him away and held the bag at arm's length. Naruto flailed about and grunted, never giving up.

Finally, Naruto knocked Sasuke's arm aside and the bag flew from his hand and into Naruto's. He jumped for joy at his triumph over his rival's blunder. His enthusiastic smile dissipated once he caught sight of the bag.

"Uh… What's this?" he asked holding up the bag. Sasuke's face turned red. The shopping bag was covered in pink, purple and red hearts and the company's logo written in cursive rainbow colored letters. It was the girliest thing he had ever seen Sasuke carry.

"It's nothing, now give it back!" Sasuke snatched the bag out of Naruto's hand and tucked it away in his arms.

"Isn't that a girl's store?"

"Shut up! It's none of your business!" Sasuke spat, face redder than ever. This was so humiliating.

Before Naruto could open his mouth again, Sasuke took off as fast as he could. Naruto attempted to follow him, but Sasuke had vanished without a trace.

"Man, is he acting weird or what?"

~*~*~

Sasuke rushed home and barricaded himself in his room. That was a close call. If anyone else had seen him…

He moved closer to the bed. Crystal was still fast asleep beneath the covers. Sasuke knelt down beside the bed and watched the gentle rise and fall of her chest as she slept. She was so incredibly beautiful, like a sleeping goddess.

Sasuke smiled tenderly at his crush and watched her sleep. He just didn't have the heart to wake her. It wasn't long before Sasuke started to feel a little heavy-eyed himself. He suppressed a huge yawn and rubbed his eyes.

Maybe sleep was a good idea…

Too tired to care, Sasuke crawled into bed next to her and slipped beneath the covers, tucking himself in. The second his head hit the pillow, he was out like a light.

When he woke up, he was surprised to see Crystal staring at him from the foot of the bed.

"Evening!"

Sasuke blinked away his sleepiness and sat up. "Oh, hi."

"Thanks for the dress. That was really sweet of you."

"Huh?" He looked up to find her wearing the emerald green dress. It fit her perfectly. "Wow."

She giggled and twirled around, showing off her new garment. Sasuke watched the dress rise as she spun, mushrooming around her legs. He could feel a powerful urge surfacing as he did so. He knew what that meant.

As soon as she stopped spinning, Sasuke stood up and slowly approached her. He stopped inches from her body, looking into her eyes.

Their staring contest lasted for several more seconds before Sasuke made his move. His lips curved into a thin, almost undetectable smile and, placing his palms on her jawbone, gently pulled her in for a kiss. They locked lips and Sasuke pushed her down onto the bed.

If this is what he had to look forward too almost every night, he didn't mind. He liked it.

This wasn't so bad…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next one is going to get a little more exciting, I think. I haven't decided yet.

Thanks for reading. Please review!


	9. Chapter 9 discovered

**Chapter 9: Discovered**

Naruto had become very suspicious of Sasuke over the course of the last few days. He was like a different person. He had improved dramatically in his ninja training and seemed to be doing better in everything all together. Sasuke was an over night successes story! But at the same time he was also acting very weird. He would be standing there one minute and disappear the next. He never ate and seemed extremely tired during the day. On top of all that, he apparently had a girlfriend. How else could he explain the kiss-feast in the middle of the street a couple of days ago?

But that wasn't the only thing that Naruto had noticed. More and more people were being sent to the hospital to be treated for blood loss everyday. It was an epidemic! Shikamaru checked himself into the hospital when he woke up feeling dizzy, weak and lightheaded. That coupled with his pale complexion proved to be the result of blood loss.

Something was going on, but what?

Come to think of it, Sasuke was pretty pale himself. Could it be that he had a blood loss problem, too? He had been tired for a few days and he was acting pretty strangely. It was worth checking into.

Sasuke was feeling pretty melancholy this morning. Crystal had to leave for something very important that she couldn't tell him about last night after the kissing ritual. How dismal…

He looked up. Kakashi and Naruto were standing in front of the hospital staring at him.

"What?"

The first to speak was Kakashi. "Naruto said that he was worried about you," he said. "I have also noticed a small change in you as well. So we both agreed that before we do any training, you're to have a blood test."

"Blood test?!"

"Just to see if you're ok. It's no big deal."

Sasuke's eyes went wide. Crystal had warned him about this. No vampire had ever been admitted to a hospital before. With all those highly trained medical ninja and doctors giving him a check-up, someone's bond to find something wrong with him. They could very well discover that he was a vampire, especially if they did a blood test!

"I- I don't know…"

"Sasuke, you're getting one so get it over with." Kakashi shoved him through the door. "We've already set it up for you. Once you're done, we'll train."

"But- but!" His protests fell on deaf ears as he was ushered to a small white bench by the wall. Sasuke could feel himself shaking as he sat down. Kakashi and Naruto weren't around anymore, but there were too many nurses and ninja around for him to make a break for it. He was trapped.

In the midst of the horrible visions of him being probed like an alien lab rat and all the possible outcomes of this visit, Sasuke felt someone sit on his left. Thinking it to be a nurse, he jumped and spun around. He was mistaken. It wasn't a nurse at all- it was Neji. He breathed a sigh of relief. He was safe for now.

Neji looked at him, apparently surprised by his atypical actions. "What's with you?"

Sasuke frowned at his snide remark. "Nothing. Why are you here?"

He detected a light scoff under his breath. "I had to give a blood sample for testing. Since I've been sent here two or three times for the same damn thing the doctors saw fit to have my blood tested to see if it's some sort of disease or something."

"I have to give blood, too. Against my will," he added.

"It's not that big a deal. It's a pain, but it's not a big deal."

"I know that, but I don't want to do it!"

Neji looked at him in surprise. "Don't tell me you're scared of a little needle."

"Not at all!"

"Then what's the problem? The sooner you get it done, the better."

Sasuke opened his mouth to retort, but closed it again and turned his eyes to the floor. How in the world was he going to get out of this? Any minute now a nurse would come to take his blood. There must be a way out of this. He wasn't going to be discovered like this! Sasuke racked his brain for a solution. Something- anything remotely useful!

He couldn't come up with anything that didn't have consequences that could result in an investigation. He couldn't concentrate very hard knowing that someone's eyes were upon him. Neji's all-seeing eyes could see right through him, couldn't they?

Neji.

That was it! The solution to his problem was sitting next to him on the bench. He had an idea. It was a split second decision, but it was all he could come up with at the time.

"Say, Neji..?"

He looked up. "Yes?"

"I really don't want to do this."

Neji couldn't believe what he was hearing. THE Sasuke Uchiha was afraid of a blood test? He faced countless ninja with various weapons and a desire to kill without breaking a sweat!

Slowly, Sasuke raised his head. Neji blinked. Sasuke's eyes found Neji's, and Neji stared back.

It was a most peculiar feeling. His whole body grew warm and numb. A pleasant tingling sensation washed over him as well. Neji could feel his eyes growing heavy and his brain getting foggy. He blinked rapidly and tried to look away, but couldn't bring himself to do so. He continued to stare into Sasuke's glowing red eyes. Red eyes? Was he using theSharingan? No, this was different.

"Neji…" He could hear his name being called from some far off dark tunnel in his mind. "I need you to do something for me."

It was Sasuke's voice. Sasuke wanted his assistance with something. Normally he would have refused something that he found utterly repulsive and troublesome, but he couldn't this time. Not with Sasuke.

"Y- yes..?" he slurred. His mind was so hazy he no longer was aware of what he was doing.

Sasuke told him the plan. It was utterly reprehensible, and totally outside his normal character. Maybe Lee would do it, but not him! He had too much dignity for that! Neji started to resist, his better judgment coming into light.

"N- no! I- I- I couldn't!" he refused, turning his head away. His cloudy brain was starting to clear up.

Sasuke couldn't let him go now. Judging from his tone of voice, Neji was still in half a trance. This was difficult; Neji had such a strong will and was determined not to allow himself to fall under his spell. Sasuke grabbed his jaw, demanding attention and guided his eyes back toward his.

"Neji," Sasuke hissed. "Do as I say. Obey me!"

Sasuke's harsh and commanding tone left no room for argument. Neji's all-seeing eyes glazed over completely and his willpower was lost.

"Yes, as you wish," he droned.

Sasuke sat back relieved. That was the first time anyone had ever put up a resistance to him before. Maybe it was because of the fact that he was at half strength on account of the daytime? Neji did have a strong will, but the other night he fell into a trance within seconds with no resistance at all. Then again, it was late at night and he had been training all day and patrolling through the streets for hours. Maybe he was tired which might've had something to do with it.

Finally, a nurse came over to him with a needle. "Hello, there, this will only take a minute."

Sasuke nodded. Any second now Neji would come.

She pulled out the needle.

Any second now.

She got out the rubber band to tie his arm.

Any second now…

Wait, what if he didn't come? What if he had somehow snapped himself out of it? Sasuke started to panic. _Come on, Neji where are you?!_

Just as she was about to tie the band around his arm, it happened.

Neji came running through the halls as fast as he could, turning over everything that wasn't nailed down. He was on a one-man rampage. He jumped up on a desk, struck a Gai pose and howled, "HEY, EVERYBODY!! How's it going?!"

When someone tried to wrestle him down, he jumped through the air whooping like a maniac. Neji surfed on hospital transportation beds, swung from the ceiling, jumped from table to table, and climbed up the walls. He was indeed a sight to be seen. Doctors were filling needles with sedatives and nurses with patients were running in every direction. When the doctors started to close in on him, Neji bolted down the hall on all fours, barking like a dog.

Amidst the confusion, Sasuke managed to sneak away unseen and out the door.

Sasuke had the pleasure of smelling the fresh air again. Ok, maybe he went a little overboard, but it was the best idea he had at the time. At least it worked. Come to think of it, he could've just hypnotized a nurse into thinking that she had taken his blood. But then they would need a sample to prove it. Surly if he had switched blood samples with someone else, the highly trained medical ninja would have noticed.

Oh, well, what's done is done. Besides, this was a lot more fun. If he were lucky, Neji would end up destroying blood samples during his rampage making it more believable if Sasuke told them that his blood sample was lost in the destruction.

~*~*~

Naruto lay awake in bed, thoughts of Sasuke still swimming around in his head. He knew something was wrong with him, but what? He couldn't put his finger on it. After much tossing and turning, Naruto finally sat up.

"I give up," he told himself. "I can't sleep."

He looked out the window absentmindedly. That's when something caught his eye.

A shadow flashed for an instant. Something had just flown by his window. Curious, Naruto climbed out of bed, slapped his shoes on and left to investigate.

He hurried into the street, searching for the source of the shadow. Turning down alleys and jumping from rooftops, Naruto could find no trace of the shadow of its owner.

_I know I saw something…_ Naruto thought to himself. _It was just here a minute ago_.

Just as Naruto was beginning to think that he was seeing things, he heard a noise. It was very faint, but he heard it. Recovering his enthusiasm, Naruto hurried around the corner, hoping to catch it before it got away again. That's when he saw something.

It was the kind of something that he thought he might find in a nightmare.

Two figures were standing in the middle of the dark alley. No, only one was standing. The one standing Naruto almost instantly recognized as none other than Sasuke Uchiha. He was holding an unconscious Kiba in his arms and, to Naruto's horror, was sucking the blood from his neck. Sasuke took no notice of him as he feasted on the warm gush of Kiba's blood as it flowed pleasantly down his throat. His eyes remained closed as he savored its flavor.

All Naruto could do was watch as Sasuke hugged Kiba's body closer, washing his fangs in the crimson blood that poured forth. The sound of Sasuke slurping down the other's blood was nauseating. What on earth was he doing? Why was he eating Kiba?

As if he heard Naruto's thoughts, Sasuke looked up. His luminous red eyes caught sight of Naruto's gigantic blue ones as they stared at him in terrified disbelief. His eyes widened in horror as he pulled away from Kiba's neck. They stood staring at each other for a full ten seconds before Naruto tried to speak.

"Uh…" was all he could manage. Was it really Sasuke he was staring at?

Before he could follow up with an actual question, Sasuke panicked. He dropped Kiba on his head and fled.

"W-wait!" Naruto called out to him, but it was too late. Sasuke had vanished into the night. Still stunned, Naruto just gazed in the direction Sasuke had disappeared in, wondering if what he saw was real. He looked at his feet. Kiba was lying in the dirt moaning softly, the wound on his neck had completely vanished.

Chasing Sasuke would have to wait. Right now Kiba needed medical attention, and fast.

~*~*~

The next day, Naruto was still suffering from his initial shock from late night. Did he really see Sasuke drinking Kiba's blood? Was that really him? What happened?

He was in such a daze he couldn't even focus on training that day. Kakashi stopped them at 1:30 and praised them for their hard work. "I have to leave for a mission," he explained. "You all have the rest of the day off. Do as you like. See you."

After he disappeared, Sakura asked Sasuke if he was interested in having lunch with her. Of course he declined.

"No, I'm really tired. I didn't sleep well last night."

_Yeah, I bet you didn't,_ Naruto thought bitterly.

Sakura didn't push him. Instead, she simply walked away wishing him a good rest.

Naruto on the other hand followed him, determined to get to the bottom of this.

Sasuke was fully aware of the blond's presence, but chose to ignore him. Sasuke rubbed his eyes blearily. He was so tired. Crystal had warned him about this, too. She had informed him that vampires sleep during the day and are active at night. Up 'til this moment, he was able to fight off his tiredness, but now that his transformation was nearly complete, he couldn't do it anymore. Sleeping during the day wasn't by choice. According to Crystal, vampires enter a coma-like state during daylight hours and are forced to sleep. Sasuke was now feeling the effects of vampire fatigue and was certain that he was about to pass out any second. He had to get home before that happened.

Too bad the blond pest couldn't comprehend that. He hadn't stopped tailing him since they had stopped training. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. "What?"

"Are you ok?"

"Fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"You seem different."

"That's because I'm tired."

Naruto eyed him suspiciously. "What were you doing last night?"

Think fast, Sasuke came up with a suitable excuse. "I was at home. I couldn't sleep, so I just laid there."

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure you didn't go anywhere?"

Sasuke's eyes twitched. Did he see him last night? He was almost certain that he had left before Naruto could get a good look at his face. He should have erased his memory when he had the chance, but he had panicked and fled before that thought had even crossed his mind. By the time the thought had finally occurred to him it was too late.

He opened his mouth to retort, but all that came out was a huge yawn. He was getting weaker by the second. He had to get home, now!

"Naruto, please leave me alone." He almost begged. He was not only tired, but he was also weak, irritable and annoyed at the idiot who could understand just how tired he was.

"But-"

"I said go away!" With that Sasuke half staggered half ran down the street back toward his house.

It only took him a few seconds to reach his house. Once inside, he locked the door, closed all the windows and covered them with the curtains making sure that no light could get in. Satisfied with his work, Sasuke turned around and removed his ninja gear. Just as he set them down in a neat pile on the table, he started to feel really weird. The room was starting to spin and slide out of focus. Could this be the coma setting in? He swayed and propped himself up on the back of a chair.

_It's no good_… He thought to himself. _I can't stay awake anymore. I'm going to keel over..!_

With his last ounce of strength, Sasuke staggered over to the bed and collapsed.

~*~*~

Naruto stood outside of Sasuke's house, gazing up at the window of his room. So many questions left unanswered. The cause of his grief and questions hid on the other side of that window. He had to put his fears to rest. He needed to confirm if his theories were true. Were his suspicions correct when he assumed that Sasuke was truly a… vampire?

Determined to find out the truth, Naruto scaled the side of the building and opened the window Sasuke had neglected to lock.

He peered inside the dark Uchiha dwelling, scanning for any signs of life. Lying in a large queen-sized bed was Sasuke. He was fast asleep in a sea of blankets, one arm tucked under the pillow and drooling slightly. Naruto approached him cautiously, not wanting to wake him and get pummeled for breaking in. He waved him hand in front of the sleeper's face, and gained no response.

Satisfied with his teammate's lack of reply, Naruto inched closer to his face. He had to be sure. He had to know. He held a small mirror up to Sasuke's face. No reflection.

He jumped back in mild surprise. So he was right! But it wasn't enough. He had to see one final thing before he could be absolutely sure. He crept closer to Sasuke's sleeping form and bent down. He had to be very gentle; otherwise Sasuke would wake up and likely kill him. Very carefully, Naruto brought his hand up to Sasuke's mouth. He gently pulled back Sasuke's lips. There, attached to his pink gums, were long white fangs.

So it was true! Sasuke **was** a **vampire**!

Now that he had established this much, what was he going to do now? Should he get help? Was Sasuke aware of what he was? He still had so many questions and now that he knew that Sasuke was a vampire, he had about a million more.

He had to talk to Sasuke. He had to make things clear.

Naruto lend forward and gently shook Sasuke's shoulder. He gave no response. Naruto shook harder and still got nothing.

"Sasuke…" he called. "Sasuke..!" Said ninja wouldn't wake up. He was totally dead to the world. Naruto shook him harder and shouted him his ear. Sasuke never showed a change in expression. He remained comatose, never moving or flinching. Just in how deep a sleep was he in?

Naruto sat back to rethink this. He had to come up with a new strategy. A thought occurred to him. Maybe it was a long shot, but it was all he had.

Taking a kunai in one hand, Naruto rolled up his sleeve with the other. Biting down on his lower lip in anticipation of what's to come, Naruto plunged the blade down into his left forearm. He grimaced in pain and watched as fresh red blood poured from the open wound. He held his arm out, inches from Sasuke's face and waited.

At first nothing, then something started to happen. Sasuke's nose twitched. He sniffed the air. Like a curious animal, Sasuke's nose explored the side of the bed, searching for the source of the tasty aroma. Eyes still closed, Sasuke's nose found Naruto's bleeding arm and inhaled deeply. Naruto watched as Sasuke licked his lips and formed a tight seal around the wound with his mouth. He slurped the blood noisily and Naruto watch, paralyzed.

"MMMmm..!" Sasuke exclaimed and grasped Naruto's arm in both hands, pulling him in closer. Naruto's blood was tasty! The best blood he had ever tasted.

The gash had finally closed up, but Sasuke still wasn't finished. This blood tasted so good! Naruto flinched as he felt Sasuke's tongue ran over his flesh, making sure he didn't miss a single drop of blood. Having Sasuke lick him was very uncomfortable. Feeling his warm, wet tongue gliding across his skin sent shivers down his spin.

"Ok, that's enough!" Naruto pulled his arm away from Sasuke's grasp and wiped the slobber off on Sasuke's blankets.

Sasuke's eyes finally opened. He looked around groggily and found Naruto sitting in front of him, looking down at his arm in disgust. "Naruto?" It took him a full five seconds before his foggy brain could finally register it. He shot straight up in bed and stared at him, wide-eyed. "W- what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help you." Sasuke looked at him, confused. "I know what you are. You're a vampire, aren't you?"

Sasuke's eyes grew wider. "H- h- how d- did you..?"

"Relax! I said I want to help you. Now tell me what's going on."

There was no way around this. Naruto knew and in his weakened state Sasuke couldn't erase his memory. Not yet, anyway.

"You remember Crystal, right?" Naruto nodded. "Well, turns out she's a vampire. She bit me a little while ago and turned me into a vampire, too. Since then, she's been training me."

"Ok, I get that, but why were you attacking Kiba last night? And did you attack all those other people, too?"

"Yes. But I have like choice. I need blood to live and I could become a dangerous monster if I don't get any for a long time. Don't worry, they'll survive."

"Ok… But vampires sleep during the day, right?"

"Yes. We enter a coma-like state during the day. I was in it just now which is why I didn't sense you come in. We don't wake up 'til sunset."

"That can't be true. You're awake now, aren't you?"

"That's only because of the blood you gave me. Vampires will only awaken in the presence of blood. Drinking it will only make me temporarily energized. Once it wears off I go back to sleep."

"So how long do you have?"

Sasuke shrugged. "I don't know. This is the first vampire coma I've been in."

"We should tell Grandma about this."

"NO!" Sasuke's sudden shout made Naruto jump. "She can never find out! This is a secret, understand? You're not even supposed to know."

"But she might be able to cure you. She's the best after all."

"You don't understand! Medical jutsus are dangerous for me! If Tsunade tries to cure me, she could end up killing me!"

Naruto blinked. "Sorry! I didn't know."

"Listen, Naruto. You have to pro…oahhhh…!" A huge yawn interrupted his sentence. His eyes were feeling heavy again. "The blood's wearing off."

"Are you ok?"

Sasuke gave his head a small shake. "Yeah… I'm just getting sleepy again." He rubbed his eyes. The room was starting to slide out of focus. A wave of dizziness washed over Sasuke and he toppled over, flopping down on the bed. He propped himself up on his elbow and grabbed Naruto's wrist. Before he blacked out, he needed to make one thing clear. "Naruto…"

Naruto bent down to listen. Sasuke's voice was little more than a soft whisper. "Yes?"

"Please… promise me you won't tell. Not anyone… I've never asked you to do anything for me before, but I need you to do this one thing for me now…" As he mumbled his plea, Sasuke's eyes drooped a little more. "Promise…"

Naruto could tell he was serious. He was right. Naruto couldn't recall a single time Sasuke had ever asked him to do a favor for him. If he was doing it now, and practically begging for him to do so, then he must be desperate. Either that or it was the drowsiness talking.

Squeezing Sasuke's hand reassuringly, Naruto nodded. "Yes, I promise."

The slightest hint of a smile appeared at the corners of his mouth. Sasuke nodded in return. As Naruto's blurry outline diminished, Sasuke, finally put at ease, closed his eyes.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Now that Naruto knows his secret, what's going to happen?

So how was it? Please review!


	10. Chapter 10 trust

**Chapter 10: Trust **

True to his word, Naruto didn't breathe a word of what had happened to Sasuke. This was going to be a difficult task. How was Sasuke supposed to remain a ninja while keeping to his new vampire schedule without arousing suspicion? It wasn't going to be easy.

Later that night, Sasuke hid outside Naruto's apartment window. He had every intention to erase his friend's memory in order to keep himself safe and insure the protection of his secret. Now that he was back to full strength, he could do it, but he still wasn't sure how. Was he supposed to command him to forget while he was in a trance or was there something more to it than that? He had never done it before.

"Sasuke?"

He jumped and spun around.

Naruto stuck his head out the window. "I thought it was you. What are you doing out here? Oh, that's right! Vampires are active during the night." He looked down. "How are you doing that?!"

Sasuke followed his gaze downward. Naruto had just noticed that Sasuke was hovering in midair outside his window. "Oh, yeah… I can fly."

"You can?!" Naruto was excited now. "What else can you do?"

No Uchiha in his right mind would ever pass up an opportunity to show off. Sasuke was no exception. "I'll show you. Follow me."

Together, both ninja wondered into the forest, completely hidden by the surrounding trees. There Sasuke demonstrated his vampire strength. He took a large tree branch in both hands and twisted it off the tree with a loud snap. Next, he picked up a large rock and tossed it into the air. As it made its descent, Sasuke used the branch as a bat and sent the rock soaring through the air with an echoing smack.

"Whoa…" Naruto was dumbfounded. "What else can you do?"

"This." With that, Sasuke vanished in the blink of an eye and reappeared behind Naruto. "I'm a lot faster now."

"I'll say. You could give Kakashi a good run for his money."

Sasuke smirked.

"Can you turn into a bat?"

He shrugged. "I haven't learned that yet. It's higher level stuff. Crystal will teach it to me soon, I hope. It would be pretty useful wouldn't it?" Sasuke imagined himself as a small black bat flying around the village full of unsuspecting victims. The perfect disguise.

"Say, uh, Sasuke?"

"Yeah?"

"I have a few questions for you. About this vampire thing." He paused. "What's going to happen with your training now? I mean with Kakashi and all."

"Well, I can't go in the sunlight or I'll burn."

"You seemed fine this morning."

"Actually, my skin was feeling a bit irritated and itchy. It was very uncomfortable for me. By tomorrow, though, I don't think I'll be able to go into sunlight at all."

"About this coma thing, I've seen Crystal walk around in the daytime and she's been a vampire longer, right? So what gives?"

"Those were on cloudy days. We can walk around as long as the sun doesn't touch us. And about the coma… that only happens if we stay awake for too long. If we go to sleep naturally, we'll still be out cold, but we do it willingly. After a while, we lose our energy and pass out." He paused. "I guess that explains it. I'm not sure, Crystal said it better, I think."

"Ok, so you need your naptime, I get it." He gave Sasuke a thumbs-up. "Don't worry about a thing, Sasuke. I'll help you out anyway I can. I promised I wouldn't tell and I meant it."

Sasuke blinked. Naruto was always true to his word. If he made a promise, he stuck to it. There was no doubt in his mind that Naruto meant what he said and would help him out. He nodded. "Whatever," he mumbled.

In Uchiha language, that was a 'thank you'.

~*~*~

The next morning, Naruto was given some bad news. A nearby village was in distress and needed a couple of ninja to go and aid them. Normally, this would be good news for Naruto because he got to go out on a mission, but the fifth wanted Sasuke to come along, too. No other ninja were available so it had to be them.

Naruto gave Sasuke the bad news and told him to get ready in anyway he could to protect himself from the sun. A few minutes later, Sasuke emerged wear a long-sleeved shirt, gloves and a cloak. His legs were bandaged and he had swopped his open-toed shoes for his winter ones. No skin was exposed but he looked ridiculous.

"O…k…" Naruto said slowly.

"Laugh and you die!" Sasuke warned him. "Let's get this over with."

The two left the village as fast as they could, trying not to draw too much attention to themselves in the process. They were failing miserably thanks to Sasuke's outfit. Once at the village, they met up with the headman and he explained the mission. Basically, a group of bandits had been terrorizing them for the past week and they were due to show up in the next hour. Their job was to put a stop to them. Simple enough, but with Sasuke's condition, it might take longer than expected.

The bandits showed up right on time and attacked the village. Naruto and his clones took care of most of them, but more kept coming. "Sasuke, I could use a hand here!"

Wedged between two buildings, Sasuke hid in the shadows keeping out of the sunlight as best he could. He glanced warily up at the sunny sky. "Just give me a second, would you?"

Naruto frowned. _Yeah right_… The battle continued. Most of the villagers had already fled in anticipation of the brawl, so that allowed Naruto and the enemy to use their full strength without worrying about injuring innocent people (maybe not the bandits so much).

One bandit whipped out a knife and attempted to slice into Naruto, but he turned and sent a kunai deep into the man's arm. He howled in pain and threw the weapon to the ground. Blood spilled into the street.

Sasuke's head picked up. He sniffed the air. "Blood…" He looked at the man's bleeding arm with hunger in his eyes. Forgetting all about the sun, Sasuke jumped to his feet and bounded forward. He leapt through the air and tackled the man to the ground with such force he could hear the bones creaking on impact.

Naruto jumped out of the way and watched. Sasuke was drooling and licking his fangs. He went for the wound on the bandit's arm and began to slurp up the fresh blood.

The bandit cursed and pounded Sasuke's head with the side of his fist. Sasuke looked up, piercing red eyes sending chills down the man's spine. He hissed, baring his fangs at the unwilling donor.

Another bandit snuck up from behind, sword in hand, attempting to behead the ninja.

"Sasuke, LOOK OUT!" Naruto bellowed.

The shout wasn't necessary. Sasuke was on his feet in less than a second and broke the blade in two with one hand. Before his enemy had a chance to recover, Sasuke jumped onto the man's chest and sank his fangs into his neck. More bandits came and Sasuke whirled around and gave a monstrous hiss and dove into the armed swarm with no remorse or fear.

Naruto watched the bloodbath at his feet, unable to look away. Sasuke was like a kitten high on catnip in a yarn factory, only in a more gruesome way. It seemed like he was having the time of his young vampire life. It was a blood banquet and he wanted to try everything.

When he was finally finished, Sasuke sat on his heels and licked the blood off his hands like a cat grooming itself. The ground was awash with blood and beaten bodies. Sasuke looked up innocently at Naruto with a bloody smile on his face.

"I feel great!" he chuckled. "That was a great feast. I'm completely satisfied." He licked his lips and lay down on the ground patting his bloated stomach. He gave a small belch and ran his tongue over his fangs looking quite content.

The feeling wasn't mutual with Naruto, on the other hand. "Are you kidding me?!" he shouted. "We were supposed to stop them, not murder them! You didn't have to kill them, Sasuke!"

The vampire looked up. "Huh?" He looked around at the scattered bodies. "Oh, don't worry about it. They're not dead, just passed out. Some of them fainted when they saw me coming. Pfft, babies."

Naruto helped Sasuke to his feet. "Come on. Let's tell the headman that the job is done so we can go home."

Sasuke nodded and looked at the unconscious men littering the street. "You know, there's one thing I don't get."

"What's that?"

"If these are the bandits, where is their leader?"

Naruto stopped. "Leader?"

"Yeah, he's not here." Sasuke's ear twitched. "Look out!" He shoved Naruto out of the way of a flying dagger. "Stay here. He's mine."

"Who did this to my men?" the head bandit roared from a nearby rooftop.

"That would be me!" Sasuke kicked off from the ground and collided with the leader.

Naruto couldn't see much of the fight from his position on the ground. Two minutes later, the once proud, muscular leader was now a crumpled heap on the ground. Sasuke tossed him carelessly to the side and dusted himself off. This was easy for him!

After receiving praise and payment for a job well done, the two ninja were on their way back to the Leaf village.

Sasuke was starting to wear down now that the fight was over and the blood was starting to wear off. The vampire fatigue was back again. He stumbled at Naruto's side trying his best to stay awake.

"Are we there yet?"

"No, not yet."

"How much longer?"

"Stop whining. Not long, ok?"

"Oh, God, I'm starting to sound like you!"

Naruto shot a look back at him. "What's that supposed to mean? That I'm annoying and whine and complain all the time?"

Sasuke tapped the end of his nose in silence. Naruto grumbled under his breath. As they walked, Sasuke tripped over his own feet and stumbled into Naruto.

"What'd you do that for?"

Sasuke looked up at him bleary eyed. "Sorry. Slipped." Sasuke gave a yawn and held onto Naruto's shoulder to regain balance. He was very unsteady.

"It's the coma setting in, isn't it?"

"Yeah, maybe…" he said through another yawn. "I'm exhausted."

"Do you need blood or..?"

"No, no, not that. It's blood that kept me awake for this long. I just need rest." Sasuke peered between the tree branches at the sun. It was still high in the sky. Luckily, the combination of Sasuke's strange outfit and the trees provided excellent protection from its harmful rays. He tugged the hood higher over his head and walked on.

Dizziness was starting to set in. Everything was getting fuzzy. Any second now he was going to keel over; he knew that much. Suddenly, Sasuke's legs gave out from under him and he fell to the ground with a soft thud.

Upon hearing the noise, Naruto turned around. "Are you ok? What happened?"

Sasuke shook his head. "I… I can't do it… anymore…" He looked up at Naruto like an injured child. "I just can't stay awake any longer. My legs won't even work anymore."

Naruto looked around. "We're almost to the village. Can't you hold on for a few more miles?"

Sasuke gave a shake of his head and yawned. "I'm so tired… I can't make it." Sasuke flung his arms out in front of him to catch himself as he started to wobble after another dizzy spell. "I… can't…"

Naruto was beside himself. In this weakened state, Sasuke was of no use to anyone. He couldn't even walk. Moaning, Naruto bent down in front of Sasuke, back turned. "Here."

Bewildered, Sasuke merely stared at the boy crouched before him.

"Piggyback. Hop on."

"But…"

"You said you didn't have enough strength to continue, right? So I'm helping you out. I'll carry you back to the village. I'm not going to leave you out here if that's what you're thinking." Naruto was dead serious. His intention was clear to Sasuke, now. There was no mistaking that gesture.

Still very weak, Sasuke proceeded to step onto the boy's back in an effort to curl his legs around his waist. It took just about all his strength to hoist himself up. He straddled Naruto's body, wrapping his arms around his shoulders. Naruto wrapped his arms under Sasuke's legs and straightened up. Normally, Sasuke would have protested this action and refuse to do it all together, but he was in no position to argue. This was his only means of transportation now.

Naruto took off at a surprisingly brisk pace. Sasuke had almost completely forgotten just how strong Naruto was.

Sasuke took in his surroundings, one groggy blink at a time. Being at this unfamiliar height gave Sasuke a whole new perspective. Feeling the heat from the sun on his back, Sasuke tucked the hood up higher to shadow his face.

"We're almost there, Sasuke. Just hang in there."

Naruto's voice was very reassuring. Sasuke rested his chin on the boy's shoulder and listened to his breaths as he trudged up the hill. He was starting to have second thoughts about his first idea to erase Naruto's memory once he was back to full strength. Naruto was pretty useful. This piggyback incident was proof enough for that. Without Naruto, where would he be right now?

Naruto was a good friend. He trusted him.

As he let all the remaining strength drain from his body, Sasuke turned his head resting his cheek on Naruto's shoulder. He watched the trees slowly pass by him in a blur. His eyes drooped to a close, allowing himself to slip away.

Naruto pulled Sasuke higher up his back, feeling him slip slightly. He glanced down at Sasuke's bandaged legs making sure that no skin was exposed. He glanced over his shoulder and tugged the hood of Sasuke's cloak higher over his head.

Eyes still closed, Sasuke whispered softly, "Naruto…"

_I thought he was asleep_. "Yes?" he inquired.

"… thank you…"

Naruto stopped, mid-step, and looked over his shoulder. Did he really just hear what he thought he heard? Did Sasuke- _The_ Sasuke Uchiha- just thank him?

Looking back, Naruto discovered that Sasuke's eyes were closed and he wore a peaceful expression on his face, snoring softly. He was asleep.

Still surprised, Naruto gave an amused smirk and continued back to the village, carrying the sleeping vampire on his back.

"Jerk…"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Thank you for all the nice reviews! I thought this one was cute. Tell me what you think!


	11. Chapter 11 confession

**Chapter 11: Confession**

Lucky for Naruto, they didn't seem to draw too much attention to themselves when they entered the village, despite carrying a sleeping Sasuke on his back in such a strange outfit. The guards at the gate were the only ones who asked about it, but Naruto told them that it was a disguise for their mission and that Sasuke's legs gave out on him, so the guards didn't pry for anything more.

After tucking Sasuke into bed, Naruto left to get a late lunch. As he waited for his ramen, he couldn't help but overhear a conversation going on between three familiar ninja.

"Honestly, I can't believe you actually did something like that! It's so unlike you."

"I _said_ I don't know what happened to me. It was like I blacked out."

"Really, Neji… It took five doctors to hold you down and sedate you!"

"But I don't even remember doing that stuff!"

Naruto looked up out of the corner of his eye and watched as the three members of Team Gai sat down next to him at the ramen shop.

"Tenten is right, Neji. You created a lot of destruction the other day. Why did you do that?"

"It's like I said before, Lee, I don't remember. The last thing I can recall is waiting to get my blood test. I sat on a bench next to Sasuke. We talked a little bit. He was saying that he didn't want to get one done and after that… nothing. The next thing I knew, I was waking up in a hospital bed with a massive headache."

"It's probably because of the drugs they had you on."

Upon hearing the name 'Sasuke' followed by the description of what had happened, Naruto managed to put two-and-two together to figure out who was responsible for Neji's unexplainable behavior. It was definitely Sasuke.

Naruto separated his chopsticks and slurped down his ramen in silence.

~*~*~

"So that's what they said had happened. It sounds pretty messed up. But Neji said that he couldn't remember anything. Did you do that to him?"

Sasuke floated upside-down a few yards away from Naruto, illuminated in the moonlight. "Yeah, I did that. It worked out better than I thought if what you're saying is true. I didn't think he'd actually do it at first. I was really hoping that he wouldn't remember it anyway."

"Why'd you do that? The doctors had to knock him out!"

Sasuke laughed. "I couldn't get a blood test unless I wanted to be exposed, and that was the best thing I could think of at the time. I was under pressure."

Naruto watched in mild amusement as Sasuke climbed higher into the sky. He never knew that the Uchiha boy could look so majestic when he flew. He looked lighter than air.

"Sasuke, I have a question."

Sasuke sailed on his back lazily. "Yeah?"

"You've got all this power as a vampire now, right?"

"Yeah."

"You're stronger, faster and more durable than ever before…"

"Yeah. Point being?"

"Can you still use ninja arts, like jutsus? I haven't seen you use them lately."

Sasuke floated down to his friend. "I don't know. I haven't used them recently. If I can use both my vampire and my ninja power then I could be unstoppable!" Sasuke performed the hand sign. "Fire style: Fireball Jutsu!" A small flicker of flame fizzled out of his mouth, no bigger than the size of a match's flare.

The two ninja looked at each other.

"One more time. That was just practice," Sasuke said and tried again. A small puff of smoke came out this time. On the third try nothing happened. Not even spark. Sasuke sat back in defeat. "I can't… do it…"

Naruto looked at him sympathetically. "You've lost your fire?"

It wasn't just fire, but_ all_ his jutsus. He couldn't perform even the simplest ones anymore. Sasuke was beside himself. What did this mean?

~*~*~

"Stop your worrying. I'm sure everything will be alright."

"Easy for you to say, Naruto. You're not in my position!"

"Alright, alright, you got me there. So, when is she coming back?"

Sasuke shrugged. "She's been gone for a while now. I don't know where she is or when she's coming back." He looked up at the cloudy sky. "If she's here, we should see her around the village. The sun's blocked."

Naruto couldn't help but notice Sasuke fidgeting. "What's up with you?"

"This will be the forth day I've gone without seeing Crystal." He lowered his voice. "What will I be like this time? I told you about the kisses, remember?"

Naruto's eyes widened slightly. "Oh, yeah… right." Images of Sasuke's kissing fit flashed through his mind. "Just don't do it in the road this time, ok?"

"I don't know what I might do! I can't help myself."

"You and your stupid girlfriend problems-!"

"She's NOT my GIRLFRIEND!"

"Oh? Then what is she? Just a girl you happen to be kissing all the time?"

Sasuke glared at him. "It's just business. I have no emotional attachment to her whatsoever."

Just then, Crystal appeared as if out of nowhere. "Hi, boys," she waved cheerfully. "Sorry I took so long getting back."

"Oh, BABY!"

Naruto turned just in time for Sasuke to shove him out of the way and jump into Crystal's arms. He coiled his arms around her shoulders and wrapped his legs around her hips, locking his heels together.

"I missed you SOOOO MUCH!" he bellowed and moved in for the kiss. He planted a big, sloppy one on her lips, the force of which was enough to knock her down. Sasuke hugged her body and kissed her again and again, pressing her into the grass.

Naruto covered his eyes and turned away in disgust_. I didn't need to see that_.

They continued for another two minutes until Crystal finally pushed him off of her body. "Sasuke, please. Not in front of _him_." She gestured to Naruto standing off to the side.

Sasuke tried to maneuver around her hand which was blocking him from her lips. "That's ok. I don't mind." He puckered his lips and moved in for another kiss.

Crystal pushed against his forehead, keeping him at bay. "We should do this away from prying eyes."

Giggling mischievously, Sasuke started to caress her body, exploring the surface of her hourglass figure with his pale hands. He hugged her close and nuzzled her neck affectionately.

_Just business, huh? No emotional attachment to her, huh?_ Naruto rolled his eyes.

Finally, it seemed like Sasuke was starting to calm down. Now he was just cuddling her like a teddy bear and rested his cheek on her shoulder. Crystal stoked his head tenderly and smiled.

Naruto cleared his throat. "Umm… Sasuke told me what happened."

Crystal looked up. "Oh?"

"Yeah, about you two being vampires."

"Oh." She looked down at Sasuke. "I see."

Sasuke started to become more aware of his surroundings now and spoke up. "It's ok. I trust him. He hasn't told anyone so far and he's helped me out."

Crystal smiled and stroked Sasuke's head again. "Alright. I trust your judgment. He can know." She turned to Naruto and said, "Welcome to the group. Being human, I'm sure you can help us out with our vampire needs. You're pretty useful, huh?"

Naruto didn't know what to say. He just nodded.

Crystal stood up. "We should talk," she said and gestured for Naruto to follow. As she moved away, Sasuke latched himself onto her back in a tight embrace, refusing to let go. Unable to stop him, Crystal continued walking, letting Sasuke's legs drag in the dirt behind.

They returned to Sasuke's house to discuss the situation. Naruto sat across from Crystal at the kitchen table while Sasuke squirmed around at her side, bubbling with a maddening desire to kiss her. Crystal informed Naruto on everything he needed to know in order to keep the secret safe. He asked her several questions that even Sasuke couldn't answer.

"How did you get passed the guards and the ninja hound at the gate?" he asked.

"Because vampires are very stealthy. We can sneak about without a problem. Ninja hounds are no big deal, either. They can't detect us because vampires don't give off a scent."

"Really?" Naruto had thought of another question which Sasuke failed to ask himself. "Why can't he use his jutsus anymore? He's tried using ninja arts, but none of them work."

She looked slightly saddened by this. "Once the transformation takes place and completes, you lose all your abilities from your human life. He's lost his power to perform ninja arts. I didn't tell him because it slipped my mind… and I thought it would upset him."

"You think?" Sasuke said sarcastically. He seemed to be going through mood swings during the conversation. One second he'd be lovey-dovey and the next he'd be back to his old self.

"Don't worry about a thing," Naruto declared, giving Crystal a thumbs-up. "I swore to Sasuke that I wouldn't tell and now I'm swearing it to you. When I say I mean something, I stick to it!"

She nodded. "I appreciate that."

Sasuke cooed in her ear and ran his fingers through her hair. "Crystal…" he sang. "Kiss, please…"

She smirked. "Can't wait any longer, can you?"

He shook his head, smiling stupidly.

Not wanting anything to do with this, Naruto stood up and left. _Sasuke's insane like this! You can't talk to the guy without him going all weird on you._

~*~*~

Sasuke still refused to come to terms with what he had suspected all along. Naruto's words were still buzzing around in his head like an angry bee. Girlfriend? Her? Ridiculous! There was no way.

"I won't admit that I have feelings for Crystal when I don't!" he told himself the next morning as he sat on the edge of the footbridge, gazing into the water. "I don't have feelings for her. It's just this whole mating thing she want me to do. I won't do it because I don't feel that way about her. I don't care about her. The only reason why I was acting that way was because of the whole kissing thing. It wasn't because I missed her or anything." He threw a pebble into the water. "I have no feelings for her or anything like that. I'm not in…"

He trailed off. He couldn't even bring himself to say that word. How could he feel that way if he couldn't even say it? Kicking his legs, Sasuke looked down at the water below, reflection still absent.

He thought about her. She was his trainer. She was the one who bit him and made him a vampire. She was the cause of all his recent problems. It was all her fault. How could he possibly care for someone who made his life miserable?

No longer could he walk around in the sunlight. Nevermore could he eat real food that didn't turn to ash in his mouth. He would never be able to look upon himself in the mirror again. He'd grow up without knowing what he looked like for himself. Never again could he perform jutsus and be a great ninja. Sure, he could do it in his own, new way, but it just wasn't the same.

She did this to him. She was the cause of it all.

Then again, she was kind enough to train him.

"But she shouldn't've done it in the first place! If she didn't bite me, I wouldn't need training."

He gripped the wooden boards in frustration. Every kind gesture she did was only to compensate for something wicked she had already done to him.

Then again, maybe not. At the dance she was so kind and sweet. She taught him how to dance and swept him off his feet.

"It was just to lure me outside so she could get my blood."

Perhaps, but he had the time of his life. He really enjoyed that dance. It was so much fun. And she looked so beautiful in that dress of hers. Sasuke sighed remembering the dance clearly in his mind. He began to hum the tune of the song they danced to, rocking slowly from side to side with the rhythm.

It was also Crystal who taught him how to play music. He needed more practice, but she really didn't have to teach him. Why did she insist? What was in it for her? Did she truly do it out of kindness? He remembered how easily she played the violin back at the music shop. She sang so beautifully outside of Shikamaru's window, too. It was so enticing.

Her touch was unlike anything he had ever felt before. She was so gentle, but firm when she needed to be. She knew all the right places and she was such a sweet kisser.

Sasuke slapped himself in the face. "NO! Why am I thinking about that? What's wrong with me? I don't feel anything for her. I don't care about her in that way. I'm not in… l… lo…"

The more he tried to deny it, the more images of Crystal came flooding into his brain. He couldn't get them out. Everywhere he turned, she was there. He shut his eyes in horror, but her image was clearly painted on the inside of his eyelids as well. He couldn't get rid of her!

Not only that, but now he was starting to hear her sweet, angelic voice ringing in his mind. _Sasuke_… she called his name. _That's right, Sasuke. Wow, I'm impressed. You're a natural. Relax. Don't worry! You're so handsome. Sasuke… Sasuke… Sasuke._

The sound of her voice filled every corner of his brain. Sasuke was drowning in a sea of her images. He tried to block her out, but couldn't. He couldn't break free from her grasp. Whatever hold she had over him was not yet known to the Uchiha, but he dreaded the answer. She haunted his every waking moment. She was everywhere. He could get rid of her. He couldn't stop thinking about her. He was losing the battle.

"No… No..!" His once loud bellows were now reduced to a faint whining. He wouldn't give in. He wouldn't submit. "I'm not in… I'm not…"

There, once again, was her smiling image. Everything about her was amazing. The way she walked. The way she talked. The way she said his name. Her laugh, her smile, everything. Her singing was beautiful, her dancing flawless, and the way she played music was beyond words. She was so wonderful. She was so beautiful. She had touched his heart in a way no other girl had. She reached out and touched his very soul in ways no other girl could. She had consumed every fragment of his being, engulfing him in absolute bliss. No one had ever achieved this; to make him feel so… alive. So much in…

He couldn't bare it anymore. What he had suspected and feared for so long he had finally accepted. He gave in.

"I am… I'm… I'm in love."

Admitting these words out loud made him feel so good. His spirit was lifted, soul aglow and his heart pounded in his chest. He was so much in love with her. For the first time ever, he had fallen for a girl.

"I'm in love with Crystal."

~*~*~ 

A hand reached out and grabbed Naruto's jacket, pulling him behind a tree. The next thing he knew, he was being pinned up against the tree trunk by Sasuke.

"What the Hell is your problem?!"

"I need your help."

Naruto brushed himself off and groaned. "You know, at first, I was thrilled that you were willing to ask for my help for once, but now it's getting kind of annoying."

"What do you know about… girls?"

Naruto froze, staring at his rival in shock. "Huh?"

"You heard me." Sasuke looked at the ground, embarrassed.

"You want dating tips?"

"NO! I just need your help." Sasuke studied each blade of grass by his foot before he went on. "… advice…"

Naruto raised an eyebrow, much to Sasuke's dismay. To break the awkward silence, Sasuke clarified.

"Look, I just realized that I might_… like_ Crystal… a little… and I was hoping that you could help me."

The blond was having a field day, but was no less confused. "You're the one who always has girls around him all the time, and now you're trying to tell me that you don't know how to talk to one?"

"No! Just Crystal… She's different… somehow…"

Naruto gave a deep sigh. "Ok, what do you need?"

"I… need to… tell her… something…"

"What?" He didn't answer. "I can't help you if you won't tell me what you need to say to her."

After several hesitating moments, Sasuke mumbled quietly, "… that I kinda sorta… like her… a little bit…"

"You mean you love her?"

"DON'T SAY THAT WORD!"

"But you do…" Naruto leaned in closer to Sasuke's pale face. "… don't you?"

Sasuke's face reddened. Naruto burst out laughing. "It's NOT FUNNY!"

"Ha ha..! Oh, sorry, sorry!" Naruto wiped his tears away. "Ok, ok, I'll help you. So you wanna tell her that you love her, right?" Sasuke nodded. "Then just tell her. Go right up to her and say 'I love you' to her."

Sasuke turned as white as a sheet and then blushed frenziedly. "N- n- no! I- I- I couldn't! I'm too nervous to just say it! That's why I need help. I'm… scared."

Naruto's jaw dropped. "Are you kidding me?!"

"Are you gonna help me or not?!" Sasuke shouted.

"Ok, ok…" Naruto let out another deep sigh and racked his brain for answers. "Ok, I have an idea. If we practice, then you'll have an easier time saying it to her. You can practice on me."

Sasuke shot him a look. Naruto performed a hand sign, but before he could pull off the jutsu, Sasuke grabbed his hands breaking his concentration. "You're not turning into her, you got me?!"

"Then how are we supposed to do this?!"

"Just pretend. Without jutsus, just pretend to be her."

"Fine," Naruto pouted.

After taking a few minutes to get into character and working up the necessary courage, the two finally faced each other. Sasuke gulped. "Uh, Crystal?"

"Yes?" Naruto said in a high-pitched, seductive voice.

"For God's sake, Naruto, I can't do this if you're not going to take this seriously!"

"What?! I'm being a girl!" he protested. "It would be so much easier and a lot more convincing if I did the sexy-jutsu."

"Well, don't!" Sasuke growled. "Let's get through this, ok? Start over, and this time, don't do that stupid voice."

"Ok, fine."

Sasuke cleared his throat. "Um, Crystal?"

"Yes, Sasuke?"

"I, uh…" he searched for the words. "We've known each other for a short time, right?"

"Uh-huh."

"And you've been really good to me… you're so nice and charming. At the ball, you looked amazing."

"Thank you."

"Well, um…"

"You should take my hands at this point."

"What?!"

"It would be more romantic. Girls like that stuff."

"Fine." Sasuke reluctantly took Naruto's hands in his. _I hate you_…

"Look at me."

"Huh?"

"You should look at me when you do this."

"Oh, right." He looked up at Naruto, almost cringing. "Well, after all the time we've spent together… through the training and the mission at the ball, and all the time we've spent together, I realized something." He swallowed. "I love you."

He was perplexed by the look of horror on Naruto's face. His acting wasn't that bad, was it? That's when he realized that he was looking at something off to the side. Sasuke followed his gaze to a small crowd of girls staring at them open-mouthed and wide-eyed; among them were Ino and Sakura.

The duo were like deer caught in headlights, staring at the group of females. They looked down, realized that they were still holding hands and jumped away from each other in unison.

"Wait, Sakura!" Naruto shouted. "It's not what you think!"

She screamed and darted back from them, horrified. Ino was screaming at the top of her lungs and the other girls from his fan club or indifferent were wailing and murmuring. Sasuke had to think of something fast. His reputation was at stake!

"Guys, guys! It's not what you think!"

"That's what they ALL say!" The girls were screaming again.

"No, no! It's not like that!" Thinking fast, he came up with a brilliant idea. "We were rehearsing something."

"Oh, yeah right! For what play?" one girl said sarcastically.

"Not a play, real life. One of us has a crush on a girl and was trying to figure out a way to tell her his true feelings." Now that he had their attention, he continued. "It was just practice for asking her out. Nothing more. After all, the girl is very pretty in his opinion."

The girls started to crowd around, giggling and swooning with feminine curiosity. They had all come up with the same theory.

Sasuke went on. "He finds this girl very attractive. Very cute, and has great taste." The girls giggled excitedly. "He's known her for such a long time. They've been through so much together." A couple of girls murmured amongst themselves and giggled. "She's very strong and sweet. And she looks great in a dress."

A few of the girls looked at each other and shook their heads. Ino looked down at her purple outfit and her smile stretched from ear to ear. This could count as a dress. Sakura did the same. Sure, she had pants on under it, but her reddish-pink outfit qualified as a dress. Sasuke might have also been referring to the dress she had on at the ball about a week ago. She puffed out her chest and flipped her hair back. Ino stepped in front of her love-rival puckering her lips.

"He realized his true feelings for her when he saw her on the dance floor, at the ball."

Ino blinked. She didn't go to any ball. So… she _wasn't_ the crush-girl? Sakura clenched her first and smiled in triumph. It was her! She stole Sasuke's heart. Victory was hers!

Sasuke nodded. "That's right. He was so nervous about telling you, that he had to ask his friend for help. Now it's time to confess."

Sakura stepped forward, puffing out her chest and wetting her lips.

"Go ahead, Naruto. Enough practice. I think you can tell her now." He shoved a stunned Naruto forward. Sakura stared at him in shock. "You didn't honestly think I was referring to myself, did you? You're so clueless."

Disappointed and disturbed, Sakura fled the scene with the other girls, their murmurs and giggles fleeing with them. At least they weren't gossiping about _his_ love life.

Naruto turned and glared at Sasuke, eyes burning holes in his forehead. "Why the HELL did you do that?! Way to embarrass me!"

"Better you than me, loser." Before Naruto could retort, he added, "No more role-play. I don't know why I asked you for help in the first place. What the Hell was I thinking? You don't know the first thing about girls, anyway. If I'm going to tell Crystal how I feel, I'm going to do it myself, my way."

~*~*~

Sasuke kicked the dirt at his feet. He had been waiting for her for the past ten minutes. He had already decided to confess his feelings for her before training that night, but he still wasn't sure how to put it. What would he say? How would he say it? He had no answers, just feelings he couldn't put into words.

Crystal glided down and landed noiselessly on the ground beside him. Sasuke felt himself shaking in her presence. His blush deepened.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"N- Nothing," he lied. He felt her hands on his and he flinched. She stroked the back of his palm with her thumb and smiled.

"Come now, you can tell me," she said. "You can tell me anything."

He gulped. He prayed that she won't notice his sweaty palms. Minutes passed and no one moved or said anything. Then, Crystal moved closer to his body and hugged him around the middle. His body stiffened at her touch. Then he started to relax, wrapping his own arms around her slender body. She was so warm. He rested his head on hers and let his mind wonder off.

"Sasuke…" she whispered his name sweetly into his chest. She started to rub his back with her hands. Sasuke moaned pleasantly at her touch. It was so relaxing.

"That feels so good…" he moaned. "Don't stop."

She didn't. After a few more minute of rubbing, she pulled away to look at his face. He returned her gaze.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered dreamily, too lightheaded to care what fell from his lips.

She smiled. "Thank you. You're handsome, too, you know."

The next words fell out of his mouth before he could think to stop himself. "I love you."

By the time he had realized what he had done, it was too late. He stood erect, face flushing a deep rosy color, and bit down on his lower lip. She didn't seem surprised. In fact, she seemed relived.

Cupping Sasuke's face in her hands, she gently guided his lips down toward hers. She gave him the best kiss of his life, deep, tender and loving. As she parted, Sasuke felt himself lean closer to her lips again, wanting another kiss. He opened his eyes and looked down into hers.

"Well, it's about time you told me," she grinned.

Sasuke smiled and embraced her tightly in his arms and kissed her again, moaning through his nose. So this was his reward for telling Crystal that he loved her…

He should have done this sooner.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

OHHH! Spicy!

GO, SASUKE! YAY!

Next one up soon, I hope. Please review! ^-^


	12. Chapter 12 Revel

**Chapter 12:** **Revel **

Naruto hadn't seen Sasuke all night. In fact, he hadn't seen him since Sasuke had told him that he was going to confess his love for Crystal himself. Naruto casually sipped his water bottle and sat on the stone wall behind him. So far it seemed like Sasuke was doing nothing but making his life miserable, or at the very least a lot harder. _He_ had to keep this a secret, _he_ had to carry Sasuke home when the coma set in, _he_ had to keep him out of the sun, _he_ had to listen to his problems and _he_ had to come up with solutions whenever Sasuke couldn't. And he was the one who got the brunt of all the trouble, which included being humiliated in front of all those girls, especially Sakura because Sasuke couldn't take the embarrassment.

_I really hope he appreciates all the stuff I'm doing for him_, Naruto thought bitterly taking another sip from his water bottle. _I don't have to do this stuff, you know_.

That's when he heard whooping. He looked around and saw Sasuke running through the streets of the village, howling with joy. He leapt across benches, shimmied up poles and swung from streetlights. Sasuke danced through the street, completely uncaring as to how he looked.

Naruto's jaw dropped. Sasuke was a sight to be seen as he cart-wheeled in the grass and jumped through the air, all the while cheering himself on. Naruto climbed down from his perch and hurried over to Sasuke, who was now attempting to pole dance.

"Sasuke, are you ok?"

"WHOO! YEAH! Wahoo! I'm in love!" he howled. "I'm in love! I'm in love! I'm in love! I'm in LOVE! I'M IN LOVE!"

"Sasuke calm down!"

"I'm in L-O-V-E, love! I'm in LOOO-o-o-oOVE!!"

"Sasuke, get a hold of yourself!" Naruto grabbed Sasuke's shoulders and shook him. Sasuke giggled giddily and collapsed in Naruto's arms with a dreamy sigh.

"Ohh… I'm _so_ happy…" he sighed into Naruto's chest. "I feel great… I had the most wonderful night."

Naruto blinked. "So I take it that your confession went well?"

In a flash, Sasuke was on his feet, grinning from ear to ear. "Oh, better than I had ever dreamed! The words just kind of came. I don't even know but… wow!" Sasuke started to pirouette around the stunned blond as he attempted to describe last night's events. He made hand gestures and occasionally trailed off in the middle of his sentences as he reminisced. "There we were outside, I was gonna tell her then, but didn't. Then we hugged… God, it felt so good when she rubbed my back! Anyway, then the words just came out. I didn't know but… and then we… Oh, wow! That was the best kiss of my life…"

"But she kisses you all the time. What makes last night so different?"

"I don't know, but it was like… no, it was more of… No, no, not even that… I was, wow! It- it was just… Wow!" He jumped in place like a little school girl, giggling. "It was just so amazing! I loved it! That kiss was so wonderful! Oh, wow!"

"Sasuke, people are gonna see you!" Naruto warned, glancing around nervously. But Sasuke wouldn't hold still for a second. He was too excited. Naruto had never seen him like this. It was starting to get creepy. "Sasuke, calm down!"

At that moment, Sasuke gave a shriek and doubled over in pain. He fell to his knees writhing in agony.

Horrified, Naruto bent down and put a hand on his back in a comforting gesture. "Sasuke, what's wrong? Are you ok?"

"ARGH! I'm burning!" he screamed.

Naruto looked up toward the sky. Sure enough, there was the sun poking out from behind the clouds, beating down and frying Sasuke's vampire body.

"AHHH! The sun! I'm BURNING UP!" Sasuke curled up like a turtle going into its shell to escape the sunlight. It was no use. He couldn't cover his entire body from the sun by rolling up into himself. He could hear his own flesh sizzling.

The next thing he knew, an orange jacket had been thrown over his burning body and he was being pulled to his feet. "Come on! Let's get you out of here!" Naruto screamed, dragging Sasuke across the road and behind tall buildings.

Shoving Sasuke inside, Naruto quickly slammed the door to his apartment shut and locked it. He leaned up against the wall panting and looked down at Sasuke's lifeless body on the floor. He wasn't moving. Naruto bent down and lifted Sasuke's limp body into his arms.

"Are you ok? Can you hear me? Say something!"

Sasuke's face was red like he had gotten a severe sunburn, but that wasn't what worried Naruto the most. In addition to being red, his skin was also creaking and pealing away.

"Sasuke!" he bellowed. He couldn't be dead. Not yet. "Please, Sasuke!"

He opened his eyes and placed a severely burn and languid hand on Naruto's arm. "It hurts…" Sasuke gargled. His voice was hoarse and creaking. He sounded like a dying man.

He had to help his teammate. "What do I do? How do I help you?" Sasuke's head fell back, moaning. "Sasuke, tell me! What do I do? How can I help you?"

Sasuke lifted his head slightly and whimpered, "I don't know… This has never… happened before…" His respiration quickened as if he were fighting to breathe. He smelled of smoke and his skin continued to flake off. The fissures on his body stopped expanding, but they had stretched across his face, arms and neck. He looked awful. "I'm not recovering fast enough… Ow, it hurts!"

Panic setting in, Naruto looked franticly around for anything that might help. That's when he thought of something. Maybe it was a long shot, but it was all he had. Propping Sasuke in one arm, he tugged violently at his black t-shirt. He ripped it off, exposing his finely tuned ninja chest. He hoisted Sasuke's scorched body up to his neck.

"Drink!" he ordered. Sasuke looked at him through his blurry, bloodshot eyes in confusion. "Vampires need blood to live, right? And you told me that drinking blood can help you rejuvenate, so here I am. Go ahead. Bite me! Drink my blood. Make a juice box out of me, I don't care! Just do it so you can get better."

Sasuke hesitated, unsure of what to make of this. Vampire instincts and a strong will to live kicked in and he moved closer to the other's neck. Long white fangs emerged from behind his pink lips and pierced his skin.

"YEOUCH!" Naruto yelped as Sasuke punctured his jugular. He shut his eyes in pain. Without being up into a vampire's trance, there was nothing to numb the biting. He felt the full brunt of the pain Sasuke's fangs inflicted.

Sasuke drank deeply from the wounds on Naruto's neck. His hunger was unfathomable.

Naruto glanced down at the back of Sasuke's neck and arms. The burns were starting to disappear. He was healing. Naruto never left so relieved in his life. For a moment there, he had almost thought that he had killed his friend.

But something was wrong. Even though he was perfectly healed, Sasuke continued to drink his blood.

Regaining the feeling in his arms, Sasuke lifted them up and wrapped them around Naruto's torso, hugging him close. He made loud slurping noises as he lapped up Naruto's blood.

It was by far the best tasting blood he had ever had the pleasure of drinking. Each person he drank from had a different flavor of blood. Shikamaru's was kind of bland, but it had a very pleasing aftertaste that was hard to describe. Choji ate a lot of food, so his blood had a kind of salty barbeque flavor thanks to all those chips he ate on a regular basis. Kiba's blood had an energetic flavor to it. The way it danced on the tongue was satisfactory, but it had a strange milky aftertaste which wasn't the best. Lee's blood had a kind of sweet and sour flavor that was very delicious. It was sweet like honey, but robust and spirited. Neji's was superb. He had scrumptious blood which was very pleasing. It had a firm but gentle flavor, rich and satisfying. It was very hearty, bold and flavorful. Naruto's, on the other hand, was very different and hard to describe. It was like taking all the good qualities the other people's blood had and blending them to perfection with an extra special, super secret ingredient. So strong and sweet, but bold and flavorful at the same time. It was excellent and addictive.

Tightening his grip on his prey, Sasuke sank his fangs in deeper, unable to quench his thirst. He wanted more, much more. He needed it.

"Sasuke..!" Naruto whined, pinching his shoulder. "Stop it! You're killing me."

Snapping back to himself, Sasuke leapt away from Naruto wiping his mouth off on the back of his hand and then licking it like a cat. Naruto was pale and sweating. Anymore and Naruto would most likely be dead.

"Jeez, man! Control yourself." He covered himself up with his jacket and threw his ripped shirt in a corner. He staggered to his feet and slammed into a wall. "Damn! I lost too much blood."

Sasuke helped him over to the bed. "Sorry about that. I couldn't control myself. You're blood tasted so good!"

"Yeah, thanks," he muttered under his breath. "Is this what all the guys you bite go through?"

"More or less." He helped Naruto lie down. "It's best if you sleep it off and drink some juice. That should help."

"Sasuke."

"Yeah?"

"You owe me." He removed his headband and added, "Big time."

Sasuke sneered. "I know."

~*~*~

After Naruto had recovered, Crystal invited him to join her and Sasuke for a small get-together later that night. Of course he agreed, but he had no idea what king of assembly a couple of vampires would have. It turned out to be a small party at a restaurant with food and music. The three partygoers were Crystal, Sasuke and Naruto. Everyone else was the entertainment. The unwilling volunteers were Neji and Lee, both of whom had been put into deep trances in order to do their bidding. The entertainment? It was whatever the vampires could come up with, which so far included being their dancers, musicians and food supply. So far, Naruto had realized one thing: neither one of them could play the 'barrowed' instruments. Neji was somewhat better at it than Lee, but neither one of them could be considered pros.

The restaurant had been closed for the past four hours, but that didn't stop Crystal from breaking in to use it for her own purposes. Naruto was concerned that the owners of the restaurant could come back at any minute and discover this, by Sasuke made a point of telling him that no one was going to check on a store at 2:00 in the morning.

Crystal laughed loudly from her spot at the table. "Hahahahah! Oh, what's the big deal? I think it's cute."

"Well, it's not!" Naruto turned up his nose and swiveled around to avoid her gaze. She had found out that when the two boys woke up at Naruto's house, they were both sleeping on top of each other. Naruto had already passed out from blood loss, and Sasuke had suffered an almost instant coma and had landed on top of him on the bed. When the two had finally woken up, Sasuke was lying on Naruto's stomach and their legs were tangled together. Needless to say it was embarrassing for the two of them, and Crystal wasn't helping to ease their embarrassment by laughing. She said that she thought it was cute and was laughing at the situation, but they both knew that she was secretly laughing at them.

"How about some music?" She beckoned Neji over. "Neji, come here." Summoned by the young girl, the Hyuga obediently stood up and walked over to her. "Play us a song, won't you? A nice waltz would be nice."

Submissively, Neji picked up the violin on the table and started to play. It was clumsy, but at least it was in tune.

Something clicked in Sasuke's brain at that moment. He stood up and approached the only female present. He bowed courteously at her feet and reached his hand out towards her. "May I have the honor of this dance?" he asked in a very suave tone, which Naruto had no idea he could do. Crystal uncrossed her legs and placed her hand in his palm. He gently pulled her to her feet and escorted her to the middle of the restaurant, which had been cleared of tables in order for them to dance.

Naruto had never seen this side of Sasuke before. He was so mannerly and chivalrous. He watched as the two vampires danced across the floor to Neji's awkward waltz. They looked good together. He had to admit it, they seemed very compatible.

As he looked across the table at Lee who was staring off into space, a thought occurred to him. "Hey, how long are these guys going to be like this? Won't they wake up?"

"Eventually, yes," Crystal explained. "They'll either wake up when instructed or on their own. Depending on the will of the person, they may wake up earlier than others. But it's a simple task to put them back into a trance. Not to worry."

The violin screeched and the waltz came to a halt. The group looked over at the musician. Neji's eyebrows started to twitch and his glassy eyes started to focus. He was waking up!

"Do something!" Naruto begged. He didn't know what Neji was going to do when he woke up, but it wasn't going to be in their favor.

He moaned and looked around the room in confusion, blinking rapidly. "What..? Wh- where am I? What am I ..?" He looked down at the violin in his hands. "Why do I have a..?" He felt a hand on his chin, pulling his gaze to a pair of glowing red eyes. Within seconds, he had blacked out again.

Crystal stepped back with a nod. "See? Nothing to worry about."

Naruto waved a hand in front of Neji's face. "I guess…"

"Quit worrying. He'll be fine. I've had loads of practice. Trust me; I know what I'm doing."

Suddenly, Sasuke took the violin from Neji's slack grip and placed it on his shoulder. Crystal and Naruto's eyes fell on him. Taking the bow in hand, he brought it down on the strings and a beautiful piece of music took flight.

Crystal clapped her hands together and smiled. "Oh! Ode To joy! I love that piece!" She pulled up a chair and sat down in front of the new musician.

Pleased with her reaction, Sasuke continued to play. Every now and then, he would glance up at her and she would nod reassuringly, smile never leaving her face.

Naruto took a seat next to the zombie-like Lee and watched. Something told him that Sasuke was only performing to impress his true love, but he didn't really care. It was good entertainment and excellent practice for Sasuke. Besides, it seemed to have a calming effect on Lee and Neji. They both sat in a booth and stared off into space.

He looked at the clock on the wall. It was 2:35 at night. No wonder he was so tired. Thinking that it would be rude of him to just leave after the vampires were kind enough to invite him to a private party, Naruto decided to wait a little longer before going home to get some sleep.

~*~*~

Neji covered his mouth and yawned. He had no idea why he was so tired. He had gone to bed at a decent hour last night so sleep deprivation shouldn't be an issue. Lee also looked a little tired himself, but that could have just been due to him overtraining again. Tenten on the other hand looked as bright and cheerful as ever.

"GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY!" Gai jumped down and landed in the grass before them. Despite Lee's obvious tiredness, he pulled himself into a salute and chirped back a loud 'good morning, Gai-sensei!'

Neji stifled another yawn and stood ready for training.

"Alright, everybody," Gai went on. "Let's get started. We've got a lot of work to do before our mission tonight."

"Mission?" Tenten asked. "What mission?"

"We just got it today from the Fifth. We have a bodyguard mission booked for us tonight. A village is having a ball thrown by the rich lord tonight."

"A ball?" Tenten's ears picked up at that word. It was rare for Neji to see Tenten act like a normal girl. To him, she was a tomboy and since that was the side of her he most often saw, he treated her like one of the guys, sometimes even failing to notice that she was even a girl. But at the mention of the word 'ball', Tenten's feminine side came out and she started to act like a regular girl. She got excited and a huge smile crossed her face as she started to picture what it would look like and what she would wear.

"Yup. The village has had trouble with bandits in the past and they're concerned that this ball might attract them. The lord has asked us to attend the ball and put a stop to anyone who tries to pull a fast one. Of course, we'll be undercover, so you three will have to dress up to act the part."

Tenten was excited now.

"The village isn't that far away, so we can train a little then get going. We should make it if…" He looked over their shoulders. "Eh, Kakashi? What are you doing here?"

The masked ninja looked up. "Ah, Gai, so you're training here today, too, huh? Don't mind us, we're just passing through."

Gai surveyed the group for a moment and realized something. "Aren't you short one member?"

"Yeah, I do not see Sasuke. Where is he?" Lee asked.

"Oh, uh, he's sick," Naruto lied. At was a beautiful sunny day and no one wanted Sasuke to risk going outside again since the last incident where he almost died. Crystal made a point of telling both of them that a vampire could burn to death if they are in sunlight for more than a few seconds. If Sasuke had been exposed to the light any longer he would have died. As of this moment, Sasuke was at his house, hopefully sleeping the day away like all vampires should.

"I hope he feels better."

"He seems to be acting strangely," Neji thought aloud. "I wonder if his illness was the cause of his outlandish behavior."

Naruto tried his best no to laugh at Neji. Not by what he said, but by what he had done last night. While under the vampire's influence, he had been manipulated into dancing, playing music and even singing for their amusement. When told to sing Mary Had A Little Lamb, Naruto couldn't stop laughing. Just picturing it was hilarious.

"What's so funny?"

Naruto shook his head and muffled his laughter with his hand. "N- nothing! Nothing at all. Heheheh..!"

~*~*~

Sasuke was curled up into a ball under a mountain of soft, warm blankets and pillows. He felt like a bear bundled up in a warm cave for hibernation. Snuggling into the softness of the mattress, he let out a long deep, contented sigh. This was his little patch of heaven, right here.

"Sasuke!"

And there was his angel.

"Sasuke, you gotta look at this!" She nudged him in the back, his body completely covered by blankets. Even though that nudge was supposed to rouse him, it only managed to relax him even further. The touch of her hand on his back was like a massage. "Sasuke!"

Wriggling around, Sasuke rolled the covers off his head and looked up at her with heavy eyes. "Yeah?"

"Do you know what this is?" She held up a piece of paper.

"Not really, but you're gonna tell me, aren't you?"

"It's an advertisement for a ball in a village close by!" She squealed in delight and jumped up and down. "Oh, please can we go? I love dances! Pretty, pretty please, Sasuke?"

Now, how could he saw 'no' to that? She was too cute!

"If it's what you want and makes you happy…"

She threw her arms around his shoulders in a huge embrace. "Oh, thank you so much! I wonder what I'm going to wear."

Sasuke smiled fondly at her and lay back down with the knowledge that he had made her happy. He watched her dance around the room in excitement, thinking out loud what preparations she should make prier to the ball. She twirled around the room like a beautiful ballet dancer, giggles filling the air. _So cute…_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It looks like the ball is going to bring two groups together tonight: ninja and vampires!

Please review ^-^


	13. Chapter 13 ball

**Chapter 13: Ball**

It was a beautiful night. There was a beautiful crescent moon surrounded by hundreds of bright, shinning stars. The outside of the palace looked amazing. Team Gai was the first to arrive at the ball and assured the lord that everything was going to be alright. Following a special request, Gai left to guard the lord in his own room privately. Apparently, the lord didn't want to attend his own party out of fear of being attacked by bandits. This left the protection of all the party guests to Neji, Lee and Tenten.

The boys were wearing black suits with red roses pinned to their lapels. Neji felt out of place with the absence of his headband. If he hadn't been wearing bandages, everyone would see the mark on his forehead. Tenten looked dazzling in her aqua-green dress and sparkling necklace. She approached her teammates and whispered, "I'm going to mingle a little bit. I think we should cover the whole floor and report to each other every so often, don't you?"

Neji nodded. "That's a good plan. Lee and I will stay in this area for a bit, and then I'll walk around once the party starts. You go over on that side. If anyone asks you to dance, you should, just keep and eye out."

"I won't let my guard down." She turned and moved to the other side of the ballroom.

Before long, more guests filed into the ballroom and the band started to play lively tunes on their instruments in the corner. People of all ages were dressed in beautiful garments and handsome tuxes. They mingled with each other and danced when the band played their preferred songs. Lee stayed by the buffet table, nibbling on refreshments and glancing around at the festivities. Tenten eavesdropped on several conversations on the off chance that the bandits were attending the party in disguise. So far, nothing. Neji paced the ballroom and glanced out the windows. Maybe they wouldn't show.

As the night went on, Team Gai was starting to get a bit restless. They reported to each other every so often, but so far, there was nothing to report. Maybe the bandits wouldn't show up. Maybe there were too many people here for them to sneak around. There was a chance that they would just jump in through a window and order all the guests to hand over their valuables like a run-of-the-mill stickup. But so far that didn't seem likely.

Neji stood by the door looking around. This was getting boring. He listened in on a lively conversation with a small group of girls. They were giggling excitedly about something.

"I've never seen him before."

"Isn't he cute?"

"Oh, my gosh, he's gorgeous!"

"He's totally hot! Smoking HOT!"

Neji kept his head turned the other way, focusing on a spot on the wall to avoid eye contact. He wasn't sure who they were referring to. He was well aware of the effect he had on young girls. Whether it involved his skill in battle, his intellect or his looks, Neji was very much aware that he had female admirers. Of course he always ignored them. He wasn't looking for a girlfriend just yet. Besides, the fan girls he had were doing a better job at pushing him away rather than reeling him in. They were so annoying. He hated girls like that. Ino was one of them. She relied on her looks and beauty far too much. She had even tried to seduce Neji during the exams and was shocked when he ignored her. He couldn't stand girls who cared more about personal appearances than the missions at hand. At least Tenten was different. She wasn't afraid to get down and dirty if the mission called for it and she was hardcore. She also had a natural beauty about her which Neji really liked. Of course, that didn't necessarily mean that he actually liked her in that way. He just couldn't help but notice her good looks.

The girls continued to twitter and giggle off to the side. They sounded close by.

"Oh, he's so hot!"

"I know, right?"

"Is he new? I've never seen him around the village."

"He's so totally cool!"

"You should ask him to dance."

"What?! No way! I'm too nervous."

"If you're not going to, then I will."

"Huh? But I never said that I wouldn't"

"Wait a minute, you can't ask him out. I am."

"What's that supposed to mean? I like him, too!"

"Yeah, but I saw him first."

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Uh, what about me? I like him, too. He's just my type."

"You already have a boyfriend."

"Yeah, but I was thinking of dumping him anyway. He'll get over it."

"Hey, I want to ask him to dance!"

"Get in line!"

Neji mentally rolled his eyes. What is it with girls anyway? Why do they get so catty and possessive over a guy like that? It was unbelievable.

He heard them squeal in delight and giggle enthusiastically.

"OH! He's so incredibly gorgeous!"

"Ah! Oh, my gosh!"

"EEE! He looked at me!"

"No way! He looked at me!"

"Nuh-uh! ME!"

That's when he knew that the girls weren't talking about him. His head was still turned so there was no way he could be accused of giving an innocent glance in their direction. Curious, he turned to look.

Five squealing girls were huddled together with their backs turned to Neji. A small crowd of girls had formed a semi-circle around the mysterious boy, blocking him from view. Neji used his Byakugan to get a better look, but he could only see the chakra network, not the person himself. He turned off his Byakugan and moved forward to get a better look. More girls had joined the pack, making it even more difficult to see. If Neji didn't get there now, he might not get another chance. Mumbling 'excuse me' a few times, Neji pushed his way through. What he saw in the middle of the crowd of females was something that he never expected.

Standing in a pristine tux in the middle of the floor was a very handsome looking Sasuke Uchiha. His eyes wondered over the crowd like searchlights as if looking for something. Neji could see each individual girl's heart melt as he laid eyes on them one by one. Sasuke seemed to fit right in at a high society event such as this judging from the elegant way he carried himself, despite Neji's first impression of him. His eyes fell on something in the crowd and a very tiny, almost undetectable smile appeared on his lips. He walked forward.

There were three girls standing in front of him. They exchanged nervous glances and looked back at Sasuke. He stopped in front of them and held out his hand, palm up, silently asking them to take it. But which one did he mean? The two girls in front pointed to themselves asking for clarification. He raised his hand a little higher towards the third girl. The two girls stepped away, disappointed. The third girl reached out with her hand, palm down; her expression was one of haughtiness mixed with pure femininity. Sasuke reached back grasping the hand of a forth girl and pulled her out of the crowd and into his chest.

"There you are. I was looking for you. For a second there, I had thought I lost you." Sasuke's tone of voice was very different from his normal gruff, bitter one. It was much calmer and gentler. He spoke like a true gentleman. This suave tone was not his own. It was very strange to hear him talk like that, particularly to a girl.

The dark haired girl gave him a small hug and smiled back. The crowd started to dissipate once they had realized that their eye-candy already had a date. "He wasn't that good-looking anyway."

"Are you kidding? You were all over him!"

"Oh, yeah? I saw you drooling. Why don't you go back and clean up the puddle you left on the floor?"

Neji walked back to the refreshment table and stood next to Lee. The green beast set his plate down and looked up at his teammate. "Did you find anything?"

"I'm not sure. Where's Tenten?"

"Uh… Oh, there she is."

Tenten hurried over to the table and asked, "Well, anything?"

"Well, I saw someone over there, but… No, it couldn't be him, could it? They look exactly the same, but…"

"What is it, Neji?"

"I could have sworn that I saw Sasuke Uchiha over there with a girl."

"Sasuke Uchiha? You must be seeing things." Tenten raised an amused eyebrow.

A waltz started to play and Sasuke bowed deeply at the waist and ushered his date to the floor. Neji pointed. "Over there. See?"

Tenten followed his finger to the couple on the dance floor. "Oh, yeah, it does look like him. But it couldn't be, could it?"

"Only one way to find out. We have to get closer." Neji walked out from behind the table and without looking at her, he asked, "Tenten, would you dance with me?"

"Huh?" She was taken aback by this. Secretly, she had always wished for him to ask her that, but this was less romantic than she thought it would be. She knew that it was just to get closer to them on the dance floor without arousing suspicion. She took his arm. "Sure, let's do this."

Once on the floor, Neji looked around at the other dancers and tried his best to mimic their movements. The two brunets awkwardly danced across the floor and over to their target. Sasuke was staring deeply into his partner's eyes, happiness written all over his face. Neji cleared his throat and he looked up.

"What the Hell are you doing here?" Sasuke hissed, recognizing the brown-haired ninja immediately.

"I should be asking you the same question," Neji threw back. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the boy.

The song ended and the air filled with applause and complements. Sasuke escorted his partner over to the wall, placing a hand on her hip. Much to his annoyance, Neji followed.

Once at the wall, three boys walked up to the dark-haired girl and praised her for her excellent form. They flirted with her and asked if she was at all willing to dance with them next time around. She didn't decline, but she didn't say she would either; she loved to tease. Tenten started to ask her some questions, too. Not about dating, but about her personally. While she worked on the girl, Neji interrogated Sasuke.

"So how long have you two known each other?"

"Is that really any of your business?"

"I'm making it my business." Neji and Sasuke exchanged glares before he went on. "Are you two dating?"

A pause and then, "Maybe."

"I didn't think you were that type of guy. You always struck me as the kind of person who couldn't care less about something like that. Dating, I mean."

Sasuke didn't answer.

Crystal was getting fed up with all these questions, too. Tenten wanted to know a little too much, like where she came from, how long she's been with Sasuke, why she's dating him and if she didn't live at the village why was she attending the party? Crystal flashed her eyes at Tenten. "Listen, you look like you could touch up on your make-up. Why don't you go to the ladies' room and freshen up?"

Tenten about-faced and left for the bathroom without another word. This confused Neji. Why would she leave so suddenly like that? What was going on? He turned back to Sasuke and continued asking questions that he didn't want to answer.

The boys continued to flirt with Crystal and asked her if she was talented in anything other than dance. She smirked. "Well, I can sing."

"Really?"

"Wow! Would you please sing for us?"

"Yeah, sing us a song. Please? Just a little one."

"Lady's choice."

Crystal smiled and inhaled deeply. She started to vocalize beautifully, casting a spell over her captive audience.

Neji, who was standing just a few feet away from her, got caught up in the spell, too, while talking with Sasuke. "I just want an answer. Is that so hard? I'm not trying to tease you about your social life, I just… just…" He trailed off blinking slowly. He shook his head slightly to clear his foggy brain and tried to go on. "I just want… to… know…" He drifted off again. He couldn't remember what he was saying. He could hear someone singing beautifully behind him and turned to face her.

There she was, a picture of perfection, dressed in a lovely blue gown and matching gloves. She was an angel. What a radiant beauty and what a heavenly voice she had! Neji stood in front of her and listened to her sing. Her song had no words, but its message was clear.

Something in the back of his mind was screaming for control. Whatever spell she had cast upon him, he had to snap out of it. He fought for control, trying to break free from her grasp. But she had a solid hold on him and was not about to let go now. No..! No! Let me go! I can't! I won't let you have me! Resist! Fight! Try as he did, Neji couldn't free himself from her spell. Instead, the more he resisted, the stronger it became. Like a withered brown leaf clinging to an old tree in autumn, Neji was blown away.

Sasuke smirked. Crystal had done it again. She had captured them with her song, bending them to her will. He looked up. Lee lured by her song, shuffled over to the group and stood next to Neji, his eyes dull and lifeless. Sasuke licked his lips. He was starting to get hungry. Now that they were all under her spell, they would offer their neck up to the vampires at their request. There were five to choose from. Maybe he would take a break from ninja blood tonight and sample instead from the three young teens who had been flirting with her earlier.

At that moment, Tenten had returned from the bathroom very confused. "Now, why did I do that?" she asked herself. "I don't even remember leaving..." She looked up to discover her teammates standing in front of the dark-haired singer and hurried over to them. She tapped Neji on the shoulder, but he gave no response. "Lee?" she called, but he didn't even turn to acknowledge her.

Something was very wrong. Very wrong.

She began to shake them. She grabbed Neji's arm and pulled. "Neji, what's the matter with you? Snap out of it!"

He shrugged his arm from her grasp and mumbled, "Go away, I wanna listen."

Since he was a lost cause, Tenten tried her luck with Lee. She tried to pull him away from the group, but he pushed her aside. "Not now, I'm busy."

Tenten turned back to Neji. "Guys, it's me, Tenten!"

"Who?" Neji murmured, still staring at Crystal. He let out a sigh. "Isn't she wonderful?"

Sasuke's ear twitched. He looked over his shoulder out the window. Something was moving outside. Crystal stopped singing and looked at him. "Let's not bother with them," he whispered. "I think I've found something better." Crystal gave a small nod and slipped away from the group, unnoticed, followed closely by Sasuke.

Now that their singer was gone, the group started to awaken from their spell. Neji and Lee rubbed their heads and looked around in a daze.

"What happened?"

"I don't remember a thing…" Neji looked down at the team's only female. "Tenten? Wh… when did you get here?"

"Never mind that. Are you guys ok?" She looked very concerned.

"Uh… yeah, I guess so." Neji looked around. "I can't really remember…"

Lee rubbed his forehead. "Neither do I… I feel strange. I… I felt as if I was dreaming."

Tenten looked around. "Hey, where'd they go? Sasuke and his date are gone."

Neji whipped out his Byakugan and looked around slowly. "We have a problem." He pointed behind his back. "The bandits just showed up. They're outside right now."

"We've still got a job to do. We'll figure this out later. Let's go!"

With that, the trio fled from the ballroom, out the door and onto the field. Tenten pulled out the knumbchucks she had been concealing under her dress and advanced toward a bandit near the trees. Lee jumped through the air and landed an impressive jump kick in another bandit's face.

According to his Byakugan, there were more enemies behind the building. "You two stay here and take care of these guys! I'll be right back!" he shouted and hurried off. Trying to sneak behind the building, huh? Nice try…

He wasn't prepared to see this when he rounded the corner. Three bandits were lying on the ground, apparently unconscious. One lay at his feet, shirt soaked in fresh blood. Scanning the scene, he found the other two in a horrifying position. One was lying sprawled on the ground with a girl hovering over his body. From the look of it, it almost looked like she was biting his neck. The third bandit was slumped in the arms of Sasuke, who was currently drinking the blood from his neck.

Petrified with fear, Neji just stood very still. It was like something out of a nightmare. All he could do was watch as the blood was sucked from their bodies by the two creatures. If his suspicions were true, then Sasuke and Crystal were as they appeared to be: vampires. He remained stationary, immobilized by both shock and fear.

As if sensing the presents of the ninja prodigy, Sasuke's head picked up. He dropped the man in the grass and stood up. He moved closer to Neji, mouth dripping with the victim's blood. A look of hunger passed across his face and he took an offensive stance.

Was he next? Was Sasuke going to attack him, too? He wouldn't allow that. He wasn't going down without a fight. Coming back to his senses, Neji pulled out two kunai knives and aimed them at the enemy. Sasuke's stance became a defensive one rather than offensive once he saw the blades but didn't back down.

"Neji, Neji," a gentle voice called his name and he looked to the left. Crystal had abandoned her meal and had approached him, eyes aglow. "Put those knives down. You might hurt someone."

Normally, he would have been irritated at the fact that she was speaking to him as if he were a small, ignorant child and wrangle that hurting someone with kunai was his intension. But this time, he couldn't. There was something about her that was strangely calming. Her eyes had a familiar quality to them as well, as if he had seen them somewhere before. He dropped the knives in the grass without a word.

"Good boy," she cooed and scratched him behind the ear. He slumped at her gentle touch. That feels good…

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at Neji and licked the blood off his mouth. "Neji was your second choice, wasn't he?"

Crystal looked up looking slightly amused. "Are you jealous?"

Sasuke's face turned bright red and he looked at his feet in silence.

Neji purred softly, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Don't worry about it," Crystal told him. "I chose you, didn't I? You're the one I want. Otherwise, it would have been someone else. Like him. But I picked you."

Sasuke couldn't hide the relief on his face. Jealousy was another feeling he didn't often get. That's not to say that he never got jealous, but he never got jealous over a love-rival. He had never once been jealous over a girl before in his life. Now he knew how his fan club felt.

A thought occurred to him as he looked at Neji. "He saw us. I don't know for sure how long he was standing there or just how much he saw, but…"

"Don't worry," Crystal said. "He won't remember."

"Are you sure? Wouldn't it be safer just to, you know, wipe his memory?"

She scratched under Neji's chin and he closed his eyes lazily, enjoying the sensation. "There's no need for that. Trust me." She gently pushed Neji to the ground, forcing him to sit and stroked his head gingerly. He smiled at her, eyes half lidded.

"I've never seen them react like that before," Sasuke said, noticing the goofy expression on Neji's face. "Is this new?"

"What, this? Oh, no. It's just another form of hypnosis we can do. It's supposed to make them feel calm and relaxed, putting them in a state of absolute bliss." She ran her fingers through his long hair. "Right now, he has no idea what's going on. He probably doesn't even know what I'm saying, but is reacting to my tone of voice. It's a useful trick to use." She giggled as Neji's tongue lolled out of his mouth. "It's funny, I'll tell you that much."

Sasuke chuckled. "Yeah, he does look kind of ridiculous. I think I like him better this way."

The vampires looked up when they heard voices coming closer. It was the rest of Team Gai looking for their third member.

"He'll wake up in a second. We should leave while we have the chance."

"Right." With that, Sasuke and Crystal disappeared in a flash, leaving behind the traces of their midnight massacre.


	14. Chapter 14 girlfriend

**Chapter 14: Girlfriend **

"Where's Sasuke? He's not still sick, is he?" Sakura asked.

Naruto shifted his eyes from left to right. "Uh, I don't know. I think he's just resting." He had been covering for his former human friend ever since he had found out his secret. No longer able to go out into sunlight, Sasuke was forced to remain locked in his house all day long, relaying on Naruto to come up with a cover story. It got on Naruto's nerves, actually. While he was hard at work, busting his hump ninja training, Sasuke was at home, sleeping the day away with his girlfriend. Even if this whole vampire thing was a curse, why did he have to have all the luck?

"Maybe I should swing by his house and give him some soup," Sakura thought aloud.

"NO!" Naruto screamed, unable to control his voice. He cleared his throat and tried again. "I mean, uh… no, that's ok. Uh, he's probably alright. We should just leave him alone."

Sakura looked at him skeptically. "Well, I want to just make sure, anyway." She got up to leave.

"No! Wait!" Naruto grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "You shouldn't! I tell you, he's fine!"

"You've got two seconds to let go of my arm!" she warned, raising a fist threateningly.

Instantly detaching himself from her arm, Naruto stepped back, keeping a safe distance. Sakura picked up her bag and left for the store to buy soup. Now was his chance to beat Sakura to Sasuke's house and warn him of the unexpected visitor.

Sasuke was sleeping peacefully in his spacious bed next to Crystal. He wrapped his arms tighter around her body, using her arm as a pillow. To avoid going into a sudden coma, Sasuke had decided to go to sleep early with Crystal, so he wasn't in a very deep sleep.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

He moaned and buried his face into the mattress. He did not want to wake up.

"Sasuke! Wake up!" Naruto's voice shouted from the other side of the window. "This is an emergency! Up and at 'em!"

Grudgingly dragging himself out of bed, Sasuke called through the window, "Come 'round here to the door!" Sasuke unlocked in and Naruto came bursting inside.

"We have a HUGE problem!"

"Yeah, you're keeping me awake," Sasuke growled.

"No! Sakura is coming over! I told her that you were sick and couldn't train with us, so she's coming by in a minute to give you some soup."

Sasuke blinked. "What? I can't let her find me like this! What if she sees Crystal, or- or what if she decides to open the windows? Or- or what if… Couldn't you stop her?"

"Do I have to do everything around here? I tried, she wouldn't listen!" He paused and then, "But I have some good news for you."

"What's that?"

"It's going to rain." Naruto pulled open the curtains and Sasuke instinctively jumped back hissing. "No, no, it's ok. Look." He showed Sasuke the darkening sky, the sun blanketed by grey clouds. It was safe for him to go out.

"Perfect! We gotta move fast and get out of here."

"It's not like she can take one look at you and know that you're a vampire, you know."

"I know that, but she can still find out if she gets too close. Besides, I can't let her find Crystal." He went over to the bed to wake her. "I can't eat Sakura's soup anyway…"

They managed to get out of the house with plenty of time to spare thanks to Naruto's warning. The sky was getting darker by the minute, much to the vampires' pleasure. Naruto decided to hang out with them for a bit, just in case anything else happened. A half hour into the outing, he was starting to have second thoughts. Sasuke never struck Naruto as the romantic type, but today that side of him came out. He took Crystal shopping, buying her whatever she wanted. Sasuke parked himself on a bench next to Naruto outside of her changing booth and waited for her to get out and model for them.

"How's this?" she asked, modeling a very low-cut, high-hemmed dress with fishnet stockings and gloves.

"Get it," Sasuke said, trying to discreetly mop up his drool. She looked good in just about everything.

Naruto stood up. "Well, if I'm not needed, I'm gonna leave. I don't know how you can stand sitting here looking at outfits. It's boring!"

"Not from where I'm sitting."

The two vampires shopped for another hour, before Crystal pulled Sasuke off to the side. She told him to wait while she went to the bathroom. Sasuke leaned against the side of the building and waited. He had been carrying her bags all day, but he was happy to do it. He'd do anything as long as if made her happy, because if she was happy, he was happy.

Shopping wasn't enough. He had to do more for her. Sasuke had a strong urge to express his feelings for her in any way he could. He looked at the shop across the street: The Yamanaka Flower Shop. He glanced around and made his way across the street.

Ino was reading a magazine when she heard the bell above the door jingle. She looked up and was surprised to see the love of her life standing in the doorway looking around. Eyes bulging, she threw the magazine aside and jumped to her feet. "Sasuke! What are _you _doing here?" she chirped.

Making his way over to the counter, Sasuke took long glances at the wide selection of flowers around him. The boy looked up at her in silence. It seemed as though he was contemplating something. He looked back at the flowers. "I'm… looking for some flowers."

Sasuke was acting more timid than his usual self, and Ino found that to be just plain adorable. A theory bubbled into her head and she flipped her hair behind her shoulder, teasingly.

"Oh, really? Is it for someone special? A girl, perhaps? Say… for a secret crush?"

"Well…" He trailed off, looking at a selection of lilies on his right. A blush was creeping up onto his face ever so slightly.

Ino fought the urge to squeal out loud. Sasuke was in her family's flower shop asking for flowers for someone, and he was being so shy about it. Could this day get any better? She walked out from behind the counter and over to him. "What did you have in mind?"

Sasuke was eyeing the daffodils. "Uh, what about these?"

"Those are daffodils. They usually represent respect," Ino told him.

Sasuke thumbed the white petals as if contemplating the idea. A minute later, he shook his head. "No, no, that won't do. It has to be something better. The message should be that they're special and that… you like them… a lot." Ino stared at him in disbelief. "Did I say something wrong?"

Ino instantly giggled and cooed out loud at his words. _How cute!_ "So it IS for a girl, isn't it?" Ino only twittered louder when Sasuke avoided eye contact with her and blushed.

"St- stop that!"

Still giggling, Ino picked up a flower from a vase. "Her you go, a single white rose. It represents love, and shows that you feel you're worthy of her, as well as display your humility."

Grabbing the flower, Sasuke inspected it. It was good, but not great. He had to give her something better. "What else you got?"

Ino looked at him in surprise. "Oh? That's not good enough?"

Sasuke shook his head. "Not quite. A single flower isn't enough and I… I'm not sure if I am worthy of her…" His blush deepened and Ino started jumping up and down. "What do _you_ like?"

_It's so obvious that he's picking flowers for me! It's written all over his face! In his actions and he even asked __**me **__what I liked. I'm the crush-girl! _

Ino grabbed a bouquet of red roses and handed them to Sasuke. "These represent love and affection. Every guy gives his true love red roses!"

He examined the roses carefully then asked, "Can you by any chance mix white and red roses together?"

Giggling happily, Ino agreed.

Sasuke had never been so relived in his life. He couldn't wait to get out of there and be rid of that annoying Ino. Why wouldn't she stop giggling? Must be a girl thing.

Sasuke delicately ran his fingers over the roses, making sure that not a petal was out of place. He wanted everything to be perfect when he presented it to her. He inhaled the roses' sweet aroma and held it close to his chest. If he could see himself in a mirror, he probably wouldn't recognize himself. This was so out of character for him. Maybe this was how love was for everyone.

It felt so good. It was bliss to be in love.

"WHAT?"

"I'm not kidding, billboard-brow! It's all true!"

Sakura banged her fists on the countertop and leaned into Ino's face. "Why would Sasuke buy you flowers?"

"Because he loves me. He practically said so himself."

"But that doesn't make any sense! Why in the world would he _buy_ you flowers at _your _own flower shop and then _leave_ with them to _give_ them to you? It doesn't add up!"

"It's so obvious!" Ino crossed her legs and rested her cheek on her hand smugly. "He's waiting for me to end my shift and surprise me. Isn't that so romantic of him?"

"Uh, _hello_? What makes you think that they weren't for _me_?"

Ino threw back her head and laughed. "Oh, pul-leez! Why would Sasuke waste his time on _you_? He secretly likes me. Everybody knows it!"

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"Then I say we settle this here and now!" Sakura stood up and put her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest proudly. "We'll ask him ourselves! How's that sound?"

Ino stood up and removed her apron. "Fine by me!"

"There you are!" Crystal hurried forward. "I've been looking everywhere for you! Where have you been?"

Sasuke smiled and hid his gift behind his back. He wanted to surprise her in a romantic way. Unfortunately, he couldn't think of anything. He was never really the romantic type. During his time with Crystal, he just went off of his intuition. He inhaled, ready to speak.

"SASUKE!"

He exhaled sharply. Just when he had gotten up his courage, too…

Naruto came running up to him, panting. "We have a situation! Neji's looking for you!"

"What?" He couldn't believe it. Could Neji have remembered last night? "Why's he looking for me?"

"I'm not sure. He said something about seeing you on his mission, but…"

"SASUKE!"

"SASUKE!"

_What now?_

Ino and Sakura came running towards him, neck-and-neck. They skidded to a halt in front of him, panting. Once they've regained their breath, they started to bombard him with questions.

"So who is it?"

"It's me, right?"

"I told her it was for me, but she wouldn't listen."

"Sasuke, who'd you get them for?"

"It's me! I just know it!"

"It's for me, right?"

"So are you gonna give them to me or not?"

"He's giving then to me!"

"Dream on!"

"Tell her, Sasuke!"

_Why me? _Sasuke moaned. Still clutching the flowers behind his back, Sasuke side-stepped over to Crystal and gave her a gentle nudge with his shoulder. "Let's go," he whispered.

Once a safe distance away, Sasuke told her to stop. "Turn around," he whispered. She did. Taking a deep breath, Sasuke bowed slightly and pulled the bouquet out from behind his back and presented them to her in the most gallant way he could. He tried so hard not to sweat or shake. This would be very romantic if he maintained his composure and didn't waver; or pass out for that matter. He remained poised and gave her a gentleman's smile. "These are for you."

Her smile spread from ear to ear as her took the flowers from his trembling grasp. "They're beautiful!"

Sasuke's head picked up, overjoyed at her response. "R- really?"

"Yes, of course! They're wonderful! You're wonderful. Thank you so much!" She reached up and gave him a one-armed hug and a big kiss on the cheek.

Sasuke reached up and ran his fingers over the spot on his cheek where her lips had been moments before. _God, I love her..!_

A little further down the street, Neji and Tenten were making their way closer to the ruckus. Neji was determined to find out the truth. Last night, he knew for a fact that he had seen Sasuke with a date at the ball. He saw them dance. He spoke to them. But the rest of the night was a blur. He couldn't remember anything after he had turned the corner of that building when the bandits attacked. All he knew was that he had woken up in the grass surrounded by bloody bodies.

"Neji, why can't you let this go?"

"Because it's too suspicious," he told his female companion. "It's too much of a coincidence for Sasuke and his date to mysteriously disappear during the ball and then, right after, we just happen to find three bandits soaked in blood right outside the ballroom with no one around. I'm going to ask them a few questions."

"But Neji, if no one was there-"

"There you are!" Neji stepped in front of Crystal and glared at her. "I've been meaning to talk to you."

"Really?" She didn't sound at all concerned.

"It's about last night. You were at the ball, weren't you?"

"Yes, I was. Sasuke was with me."

"Where did you go after that?"

"We had a bite to eat," she said through a smile.

When Neji took another step towards her, Sasuke stepped up next to her. He gave Neji a death glare, a low growl emitting from his throat. Neji took a step back but kept his eyes on Sasuke. Why was he acting this way? It was so unlike him.

"If you don't live at the village, why were you at the ball?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at Neji.

"Because I wanted to go," she said.

"Why was he with you?" he gestured to Sasuke.

"Because I needed a date and he agreed to go."

Neji turned to the still glaring Sasuke and asked, "Why did you go?"

"Because she asked me to."

"You never struck me as the type of guy who could hold his own at a high society event, such as that. You sure acted classy…"

"I'm supposed to. It was a ball, after all. I had to act like a gentleman while I was there."

"So you weren't trying to impress anyone?"

Truth be told, yes, in a way he was trying to impress someone: Crystal. She was so classy and mannerly; in a small way, Sasuke wanted to be like that, too. Maybe it was to impress her, or maybe it was so that he could fit in. Now, even he didn't know.

In answer to Neji's question, Sasuke just glared at him giving off another low growl.

Neji looked at the flowers in Crystal's arm. "Where'd you get those?"

She pulled away slightly, as if she expected Neji to take them away.

Sasuke put a hand on her shoulder and stepped in front of her, as if shielding her from the other prodigy. "I gave them to her."

"Why?" Neji asked. "Why were you at the ball? Why did you give her flowers? And why are you spending so much time with her? Who is she?"

Sasuke's response was spoken on impulse. With his arm still around Crystal's shoulder, he answered.

"Because we're DATING! Crystal's my GIRLFRIEND!"

Time stood still. Then all Hell broke loose.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Ino and Sakura screamed in unison.

Neji staggered backwards into Tenten, both of whom were in shock. Screams rang out from the other side of the street as Ino, Sakura and a whole group of girls from Sasuke's fan club dropped to their knees and wailed in despair. Girls comforted each other as they lamented the loss of their beloved Sasuke Uchiha. Other girls compensated their loss by either cursing Crystal, running home to weep in private, or pounding the earth with their fists.

Meanwhile, Sasuke had placed his arm around Crystal's hip and escorted her down the street. It was strange. It seemed almost as if admitting the truth to everyone on the street had made him feel so much better. Almost cleansing.

Naruto couldn't stop shaking his head as he watched Sasuke shrink into the distance. "Idiot…"

Neji had finally recovered from the initial shock of hearing Sasuke admit something that he never thought were possible in his wildest dreams, and was now very, very confused. Since when did he get himself a girlfriend? And something seemed familiar about that girl. He knew he had seen her somewhere before the ball, but when and where?

Sakura sat by the side of the road sobbing uncontrollably into her hands. Naruto tried his best to comfort her, but it was all in vain. No matter what, he always seemed to say the wrong things to her.

"I knew it!" she wailed. "I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! I knew it all along! I just knew it!"

"Knew what?" Ino cried, wiping her tears off on the back of her hand.

"Sasuke had been acting so strange lately…" she sniffled. "I was beginning to wonder. Oh, I should have known! I'm such an idiot! I should have known that she was his girlfriend! After all, he practically attacked her in the street the other day when he kissed her."

"What?" Neji had crouched down in front of the pink-haired ninja to listen.

"Well, yeah," she sniffled. "The other day he was kissing her like crazy! I wasn't sure at first, but it looked like she was trying to push him off of her. Maybe _that's_ where he's been disappearing to all this time."

"How long has she been here?"

She wiped away her tears and looked up at him. "I don't know. It's been over a week, I know that. We met a few days ago, but I don't know if that was Sasuke's first time meeting her, too. She said that she was visiting."

Neji straightened up. Perhaps it was time for him to conduct a little research of his own.

"This had better be quick, I'm very busy," Tsunade said from behind a tall stack of books, papers and scrolls.

"Lady Tsunade, believe me, this is very important."

Seeing the seriousness in Neji's face, the hokage shoved her work aside and listened. "Alright, what is it?"

"I think we might have a dangerous intruder in the village."

Tsunade looked at him. "Oh? What makes you say that?"

"I've conducted a little research and I discovered that a young girl got into the village without permission." Neji paused before he went on, as if he were debating whether or not he should reveal all his information. "I've spoken with the guards at the front entrance and they both claimed that they've never let in someone matching her description. Also, I went to the hospital and asked for the records of all the blood loss attacks. As it turns out, the attacks only started _after_ she had arrived here in the village."

Tsunade placed her elbows on the desk and rested her chin on her hands. "That is very suspicious."

"Also, I saw her the other night on my mission at the ball," Neji went on. "She wasn't here at the village last night, and last night there were no attacks or reports of blood loss victims… the _same _night she wasn't here."

She nodded. "Is there anything else?"

Neji paused again. A minute later, he spoke. "Yes, there is as a matter of fact. The first time I was attacked I had a memory block. But I just remembered something. I remember seeing her face that night I was attacked. I wasn't sure at first, but I'm positive now. It definitely was her."

The head of the Leaf village looked at her desktop in silence, soaking it all in. "I see…" She looked up. "Where is she now?"

"I couldn't say. If we find Sasuke Uchiha, she shouldn't be too far behind. They're dating now."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow.

"Threw me for a loop, too."

"Alright," she said. "If there's another attack tonight, we'll apprehend her tomorrow morning. So far everything adds up. That's not to say that she's guilty, but we will question her. If it fits together well, we'll go from there."

Neji gave the hokage a respectful bow and left her office. He was through being toyed with. For the longest time, he knew something was going on and now he could prove it. Finally, justice will be served.

Oh, crap… D:

Now what?

Read the next chapter and find out. Please review!


	15. Chapter 15 pursuit

**Chapter 15: Pursuit **

Last night was possibly one of the best, if not_ the_ best, night of his life. He had spent every waking moment with Crystal with a smile on his face. They took a romantic stroll through the woods while holding hands, Sasuke played the violin as she danced and sang around the deserted music store, and, yes, they even kissed. They held hands as they flew through the night sky, twisting and turning and freefalling only to swoop up again and do it all over. Sasuke had never felt so alive.

The sky was dark, but still the rain did not come. Sasuke didn't care. If it was still cloudy in the morning, he could spend all day with Crystal just like he did before.

Shortly before returning home, the two vampires shared Choji's neck and left him at the hospital doors. With sunrise mere minute away, they returned to Sasuke's house to rest.

When Sasuke finally awoke, it was to the sound of banging on his door. Naruto was hammering on his door again. Sasuke had every intension of sleeping all day, but it looked like the blond wasn't going to allow that. He opened the front door and squinted at Naruto's panic-stricken face.

"What?"

"Where's Crystal?" Naruto sounded terrified. "Is she in with you?" Naruto had never looked so frightened before in his life. He was pale, sweating and, was is Sasuke's imagination, or was he shaking, too?

Sasuke looked over his shoulder and shook his head. "Uh, no… She said that she was going to go out for something a little while ago. She hasn't come back yet. I think she's still in the village."

"AAAHHHH!" Naruto screamed in his face.

"Ow!" Sasuke threw his hands over his ears and winced. "What the Hell was that for?"

"Neji told!" he screamed. "He told Grandma about Crystal and now they think that she's dangerous. They've got the whole village looking for her!"

Silence.

"WHAT?" Sasuke's brain finally registered the meaning of Naruto's words and was now going into a panic attack.

"I know, I know! We have to do something."

"We've got to find her before they do!"

Just then, a flash of black zoomed by followed closely by several multicolored blurs. It was Crystal running as fast as she could away from at least six ninja on her heels. She jumped onto a rooftop and preceded north, the ninja keeping up with her every step of the way.

"I think it's a little late for that," Naruto murmured.

Sasuke clenched his fists and his eyes turned blood-red. "I'm not going to allow this!" he snarled. "I have to protect her!" He turned to Naruto and asked, "Will you help me? Will you help let her get away safely?"

How could he refuse? Rivals or not, they were still friend and Naruto had promised to help him in anyway he could. Besides, Sasuke's eyes never looked more pleading. "Of course I will."

A smile of gratitude appeared on Sasuke's face. "Thank you. Now let's go!"

The two ninja took chase.

"There she is! I can see the back of her head!"

"Cover my right! We'll get her."

Several ninja had joined the pursuit, but the vampire girl was too quick for them. She was now several yards ahead of them and still going. No one knew where she was heading, but their mission was to stop her and turn her over to the hokage. Two more ninja had joined in the chase, but they weren't trying to stop her; they were trying to aid her. Naruto had made five other shadow clones and instructed all of them to bring down the ninja closest to her. Meanwhile Sasuke tried to take out any ninja who could be a potential danger to her from afar. Reasoning wouldn't help him here. He had no choice but to use his vampire abilities on them.

Two people passed him by in a flash.

"What's the plan?" said a blond ninja in purple.

"You go over there and try to get a clean shot. I'm going this way and try to get close enough to use my shadow," answered the second.

Ino went off in the direction she was told while Shikamaru hooked left. He slowed his pace and made a hand-sign. "Shadow possession ju-"

"NO!" Sasuke tackled the shadow-user into an alley and pinned him to the wall.

"Sasuke, what are you-?"

"Shut up!" he shouted and looked Shikamaru in the eye. "You are _not_ going to take part in this mission anymore. You will _not_ pursue that girl any further. Take no further action and go home."

Shikamaru stared blankly into Sasuke's eyes then muttered, "Yes, I understand. As you wish." Sasuke released him and the Nara boy turned and obediently went home. Sasuke then went after his teammate.

Ino stood on a rooftop and held out her hands. "Mind trans-" She was cut off when Sasuke suddenly dove in front of her hands to block the jutsu. "S- Sasuke? I can't talk right now, I have to-"

"No, you don't."

"Huh?" She looked at him in confusion.

"You don't have to do anything." He eyes started to glow red. "Take no further action. Don't pursue that girl any further. Abandon your mission. Don't follow her."

A few seconds later, Ino nodded. "Sure, no problem." Then she stood up and left.

Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief. So far so good, but his job wasn't done yet. If he wanted to keep his strength up, he couldn't flash his eyes to everyone. It took a lot of energy. Sun or not, in the daytime he was only at half strength. He had to find a different way to do this. Looking around, his eyes fell upon the music store. A light bulb went off in his head. He knew what to do.

Grabbing a violin, he stood on a bench and put the instrument on his shoulder. _I hope I remember how to play_ _Violin Sonata from memory._ Taking a deep breath, he began to female ninja stopped in their tracks. Their head swiveled around and fell on Sasuke.

"Isn't that..?"

"Ahh! It's Sasuke!"

"He's playing the violin!"

"Oh, my gosh! That's so HOT!"

Gasping and giggling, a swarm of girls came flocking over to him. Good, that's just what he wanted. In the same way Crystal's voice could only affect males, Sasuke's music skills could only affect females. So long as he kept playing, he'd keep a good half of the ninja pursuing Crystal at bay. But he couldn't keep this up forever. She still needed him and who knew how long Naruto could last? He had to do something to get rid of these girls.

Looking around, he saw a storage warehouse about a block away. The village used that to store weaponry such as kunai and scrolls, as well as ninja uniforms. It looked promising…

Sasuke jumped down from the bench and into the street. "Follow me, girls!"

Like the Pied Piper of Hamelin, the girls obediently followed behind. He led them to the warehouse and kicked the door open. He stepped inside, still playing the instrument and beckoned to them. Summoned by the Uchiha, the crowd squeezed through the door and into the storage area. Sasuke inched his way over to the exit and, casting the instrument aside, slammed the door shut and locked it.

Not wasting a single second, Sasuke hurried after the others, ignoring the confused murmurs and shouts coming from the inside of the makeshift prison.

Along the way, Sasuke bumped into Naruto. "Where is she? What's going on?"

Naruto glared at him in response. "You know, I'm hated enough as it is around here. Now that I'm helping you to help her escape, I'm even worse off than I was before! You should hear the things they're calling me!"

"But how is she?"

"I really don't know," he sighed. "All my shadow clones were taken down, but I managed to buy her some time. You?"

He shook his head. "I managed to get rid of half the ninja going after her, but I don't know how long it will last. We've gotta do something."

"What more do you want me to do? Do you have any idea what you're putting me through?"

Sasuke ignored him. At that moment, two ninja came sprinting by.

"Are you clear on the plan?"

"Yup! We can take her, right Akamaru?"

"Arf! Arf!"

"Alright! Let's do this, Shino!"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the two boys and dog. Was _everyone_ in the village after her? It sure seemed that way.

"Sasuke, I can't do it all!" Naruto whined. "I need help!"

The wheels in Sasuke's head started to turn and an idea sparked into his mind. "I've got an idea! Naruto, go to Crystal. Take out as many ninja as you can that are closest to her and try to lead her into the woods. Got it?"

"I got it! But wait, what are you gonna do?"

He winked. "Just leave it to me." When Naruto had left, Sasuke went after the members of Team 8.

Kiba was getting ready for an attack. "Go on ahead, Akamaru! Stick to the plan." The loyal puppy barked and hurried down the street. Meanwhile Kiba got ready to do his part. That's when someone tapped him on the shoulder.

"Kiba, I have a plan. Come with me."

"Huh? Sasuke? Look, I'm sure you have a great idea, but right now I'm going through with Shino's plan."

"But mine's better. It'll work."

"Look, if Shino's fails, then I'll listen to your plan. Now I'm going ahead with his, ok?" He felt Sasuke's grip tighten on his arm. "OW! Hey, what the Hell?"

Sasuke's eyes shined a bright red and locked onto Kiba's. "Listen to me," he hissed. "Do as I say."

Kiba looked both confused and sleepy. Was that supposed to happen? Then Kiba answered in a distant, dreamy tone. "Do… as… you… say..?"

"Yes, do as I say. Obey me. Do as I command."

After a moment's pause Kiba nodded, eyes glazed over. "Yes, whatever you say. What do you want?"

Sasuke still making eye contact said, "Take me to Shino."

Kiba nodded. "Ok." He led Sasuke down the street and over to Shino. Hopefully he still had enough strength to do Shino in, too.

"Shino!" Kiba called. Said ninja turned. "Sasuke has a plan that he wants you to hear out."

Shino frowned. "Oh, really?" He jumped down from the roof and handed with a soft tap on the ground. "I have a plan to take her down, too. We were just about to go through with it, but it seems that you have something better. Go ahead, tell us what that is."

Obviously, Shino was ticked off. But Sasuke wasn't going to back down now. But before he could do anything, he heard a soft whine. Looking down he saw Akamaru sniffing Kiba's leg. Apparently, the small dog knew that that was his master, but there was something off about him. Could Akamaru tell that his master was under Sasuke's control?

"What's that matter with him?" Shino asked, taking notice of the animal's behavior.

Kiba shrugged. "I don't know." He stroked Akamaru's head reassuringly. The dog calmed somewhat.

Shino turned back to Sasuke and waited for an answer to his previous question.

"Take off your glasses," Sasuke told him.

"What?" Shino wasn't expecting this. "Why should I?"

"Because I need to see your eyes. It's important."

Shino took a step back. "Unless you can explain how it regards to the mission, I don't see why I should-" He was abruptly cut off when Sasuke's hand, faster than the blink of an eye, snatched the tinted glasses right off Shino's face. Shino's back hit the wall as he griped his face in surprise. "Why did you..?_ How_ did you..?"

The Uchiha cut him off again as he pinned the bug-boy to the wall with one arm. Leaning into his face, Sasuke gave his commands. "Do as I say. Obey me!"

"What are you..?" Sasuke's hold on him was too strong and his gaze too hard to resist. Shino froze like a deer caught in headlights and stared back into Sasuke's glowing red eyes. In seconds his will was gone. "Yes."

Sasuke smiled. "Today you will do whatever I say. You will perform any action I tell you to. Understand?"

Shino nodded. "Yes, as you wish."

Sasuke set Shino back onto the ground gently and gave his orders to his two ninja puppets.

Meanwhile, Naruto had caught up to Crystal and the four ninja on her heels. Making six shadow clones, Naruto tried to hold back all of them at once, but to no avail. His clones disappeared and left him to fight alone. Naruto tried again, but one of the men stopped him and pushed him out of that way.

"Stay out of this!" he shouted.

Another ninja took aim at Crystal and sent two kunai sailing at her back.

"NO!" Naruto struggled to his feet, but there was no way he'd make it in time.

Just then a flash out grey appeared in the blades' way and deflected them before they could land their mark.

Crystal stopped in her tracks and turned around. Naruto looked up in time to see, what looked like, a tornado followed by a loud battle cry.

"Fang Over Fang!"

He looked to the left. A large swarm of bugs were attacking two of the other ninja while the twister took care of the other two. Two figures landed in front of Crystal shielding her from harm.

"Are you alright?" Shino asked.

"You're not hurt, are you?" asked Kiba.

She shook her head, still catching her breath.

The two ninja turned back around, surveying the scene and scanning for any signs of danger. Sasuke landed noiselessly at their side.

"She's unharmed, Master Sasuke," Kiba said.

"_Master_ Sasuke?" Naruto gaped. "Did he just call you 'master'?"

Sasuke shrugged with a small smirk. "Yeah, but I didn't tell him to do that. He just sort of did it. I kinda like it, though."

Naruto looked at the two in awe. "You- you made them your slaves, didn't you?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I kinda did. Don't give me that look! It's all I could think of. Besides, it seems like a good idea. They're helping us, and they'll do whatever I say."

"Yeah, for now." Crystal, having caught her breather, moved closer to Sasuke. "You do realize that this will ware off and they will return to normal, right?"

"Yeah, I know."

"But wait," Naruto waved a hand in front of Shino's face. "They're not like Neji and Lee were the other night. They were like zombies, but these guys are more alert. What gives?"

"That's because this technique is more of a long-term thing. This is how we can control people for long periods of time, rather than them being mindless zombies that can wake up at any second," Crystal explained. "But this doesn't last forever. The second the vampire who put them into the trance goes into the coma, they're going to wake up. Luckily, it won't matter if the vampire is weak or not, it just matters if they're conscious."

Sasuke nodded. "Well, now I know."

Kiba and Shino looked up. "Master, more ninja are coming."

Sasuke turned around. "Keep them busy. Don't let them follow us, but don't hurt them too much. We just want them to stay away. Don't kill them."

"Yes, master."

"Understood."

"While they buy us some time, let's go through the woods," Sasuke said. "Naruto you cover the front, I'll cover the back."

"Right." He took Crystal's hand. "Come on, this way."

They entered the woods, weaving through trees as they went. All seemed fine until they heard barking.

"Don't tell me…" Naruto moaned.

"The Inuzuka clan must've sent out their canines to track us down!" Sasuke shouted from behind.

The barking was getting closer. They picked up the pace. Suddenly a large pack of dogs came rushing at them. Sasuke pivoted and stood at the ready as two dogs snuck up from behind. He reached up and punched one in the face and kicked the other in the ribs.

"But how did they find us?" Naruto hollered. "I thought you said that vampires don't give off a scent!"

"_We_ don't, but _you_ do!" Crystal informed him. "They must've been following your scent since they couldn't find ours."

Naruto's face went pale. "Oh, man! I was only trying to help! I didn't know that… I'm sorry! I out you guys in danger by being near you, didn't I?"

"No, Naruto you did very well. I'm grateful that you'd…" She looked over his shoulder. "LOOK OUT!"

A large dog came sailing overhead, but thanks to Crystal's warning, Naruto managed to kick it aside. "Thanks."

More dogs came, encircling the threesome. There was nowhere to run. The dogs punched, and the boys were on the offensive. Naruto shielded Crystal with his body while Sasuke charged into the pack relaying on his vampire strength and speed to defeat them. Knowing that they were ninja dogs who were only doing their job, Sasuke went easy on them, inflicting only minor injuries.

"Go! I've got this!" he shouted. Naruto nodded and lead Crystal away by her hand. They had to get away. He had to get her to a safe place where no one would find her, but where?

More growls could be heard coming from all sides of them as they ran. They sounded louder than before. Something jumped out in front of them and Naruto skidded to a halt. This time, their enemies were wolves. That's right, wolves, half bearing a ninja head band and the other half wearing collars with the Leaf village symbol on their tags. They were ready to fight. With Sasuke gone, Naruto was forced to fight both defensive _and_ offensive. Making several shadow clones, the original instructed each of them to go after the wolves while he stayed behind to protect Crystal.

There were too many. These were highly trained ninja canines. They not only had their natural power but they also possessed amazing ninja skills, too. The pack of wolves took out Naruto's shadow clones in no time. Now completely alone, Naruto backed put to Crystal, a kunai raised in his hand. Without a plan, he told her to stay behind him and hoped that something would come to his aid.

As if on cue, Sasuke came tearing through the trees and bulldozed through several of the wolves. He straightened up and pulled himself into a fighting stance. Two wolves lunged. He reached up and grabbed one wolf's tail and swung him into the second. Angered by the new threat, the wolves became vengeful. Approaching from all sides, the wolves pounced. At an incredible speed, Sasuke took them down. It was a frightening sight as the vampire bashed heads, punched, kicked and threw the wolves every which way. One snuck up from behind and leapt through the air. Sasuke effortlessly clutched the wolf's head firmly in his hand and threw it into a tree. He grabbed the next one by the ears and threw it over his shoulder and pile-drived two into the ground at his feet.

Stunned by Sasuke's fearsome skills, Naruto didn't notice the large grey wolf creeping up behind Crystal. It was too late. With a mighty growl, the wolf sailed over her head, mouth agape, ready to sink its teeth into her face.

In the time it took Naruto to turn, it was over. Crystal had spun around and landed an impressive high-kick in the wolf's neck, sinking her high-heel into its flesh and sending it flying straight up into a tree. It got stuck in the branches, whimpering in pain. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and looked at Naruto's shocked expression. "What?"

He wasn't the only one caught off-guard. The remaining wolves had stopped in their tracks and Sasuke had frozen with wide-eyed, open-mouthed shock. He recovered a minute later and his face grew pink and a lustful smile crept onto his face. "I love that woman," he swooned.

Naruto looked around. There were only five wolves left and Sasuke was starting to wear down. Now wasn't the time to standing around watching. He had a job to do. He had to get her away safely. "I'm going ahead with Crystal!" he shouted. Sasuke nodded as he wrestled with the remaining wolves. He couldn't follow. He had to hold them off while she and Naruto escaped.

Naruto bolted from the scene, holding Crystal's hand firmly in his and led her as far away as he could. The trees started to thin out and Naruto found himself looking down the side of a steep cliff. He looked around for a safe path but none jumped out at him. "Now what?"

Crystal looked down and pointed. "There, I can see an opening between those roots."

"Where?" Naruto squinted.

Crystal took his other hand in hers and before Naruto knew what was happening, his feet left earth. She was flying with Naruto's hands in hers. He had never been carried in flight before. It was pretty cool. She hovered by the tangled roots halfway down the cliff side. Sure enough, there was a small opening hidden behind the roots that even a keen-eyed ninja could see from the top.

She set Naruto down between the roots and peeked inside. "It's a small cave," she said and squeezed inside. She inspected her new surroundings and gave a nod of approval. "Yes, yes. This is perfect. No one will find me here and I'm well hidden from the sun."

"So you'll be staying here, then?"

She nodded. "Well, it's not like I can go back to the village anytime soon." She looked at the dirt by her feet. "I… wonder about Sasuke. How will he feel about this? I know he'll be sad, but… I have no other choice."

Naruto searched for the right words. "Well, he can come visit you. I'm sure you guys can still see each other at night. It won't be so bad."

She turned and gave him a smile. "Thank you so much Naruto for helping me. Sasuke has such a good friend." She reached forward and hugged him. Naruto was surprised at how warm she was. Weren't vampires supposed to be cold? No wonder Sasuke liked cuddling with her. She was so soft and warm. It was a nice feeling.

He never expected what came next. He felt her lips on his forehead as she kissed him in gratitude. He could feel his face getting hot. She pulled away from him and smiled.

"You should go back to Sasuke. Tell him I'm alright."

Still stunned, Naruto left the cave and returned to the woods.

Staggering through the trees covered in blood and grass was Sasuke. He looked awful. He was covered with mud, grass, scratches and bite marks. On top of all that, he looked downright exhausted. He spotted Naruto and dragged himself over to him.

"How is she?" he asked, his voice soft and weak. "Is she alright? Is she safe?"

He nodded. "Yeah, she's fine. She got away."

Sasuke collapsed in Naruto's arms with a heavy sigh. "Oh, thank God." He slumped against Naruto's body looking very heavy-eyed.

"Are you going into a coma?" the blond asked.

Sasuke nodded sleepily. "Yeah… I guess I am. I've been using my powers all day long, fighting dogs, wolves and ninja… and got no rest at all. I'm amazed I lasted this long without keeling over."

Naruto shifted Sasuke into a more comfortable position and sat in the grass. For a while no one said anything. Then Naruto chuckled. "We're in so much trouble when we get back to the village."

"Hn," Sasuke grunted.

"We helped her get away. We attacked our fellow ninja, beat up the Inuzuka clan's dogs, _you _manipulated Shino and Kiba into battling other ninja, and you trapped all those girls in a storage room. How are we going to get out of this one?"

"What… are we… going to tell… everyone..?" Sasuke mumbled.

Naruto thought for a moment. _How__** are**__ we going to explain ourselves?_ "Well, we could say that it was a genjutsu or that it wasn't really us doing it, but people transformed into us."

"Hmm," Sasuke moaned. It sounded like he was drifting off. Looking down, Naruto could see his eyelids drooping.

"Crystal told me to tell you that she's fine. She's hiding in a cave that's hidden from view. Even I couldn't see it. It's away from the sun and away from people. She's safe there. And you guys can still see each other. You can go to visit her and you guys can see each other at night."

"That's enough for me," Sasuke said through a sigh and closed his eyes. His head fell against Naruto's chest, fast asleep.

Naruto held Sasuke's body close to his for a few minutes and then lifted him onto his back and carried him into the village. He'd have to come up with some sort of explanation to tell everyone for their strange behavior that day, but for now he had an out-of-commission Sasuke to look after.

Who ever thought that Neji could be so much trouble? Now that Sasuke knows that Neji was behind getting his girlfriend run out of the village, what's going to happen to him? Please review! ^-^


	16. Chapter 16 panic

**Chapter 16: Panic **

It was bad enough that Naruto already had to keep this all a secret, but did he have to take care of Sasuke, help Crystal get away _and _attack the ninja in his own village, too? This was getting to be a bit much for the young fox-vessel. After laying Sasuke in bed, Naruto took nervous glances out the window every so often. It had appeared that the ninja had given up on trying to find her and were now taking care of the ones who were caught up in Sasuke's power and Naruto's attacks. He couldn't help but feel guilty about attacking his own people. Was this any way for the future Hokage to behave?

Sasuke gave a loud snore but remained motionless in his bed. Naruto decided to hide at Sasuke's house for a little while longer. He was a lot better off inside his friend's dark house than outside with all those angry ninja hounding for his blood.

Sasuke took his time waking up. He had stayed asleep for a good part of the afternoon and most of the evening. He finally woke up at about 9:00 at night and was feeling very thirsty. He spied Naruto on the couch and crawled over next to him.

Feeling the heat of an extra body next to him, Naruto looked up. "It's about time you got up."

"How long was I out?" Sasuke rubbed his eyes groggily.

He shrugged. "I don't know. About seven hours, maybe. I wasn't timing you. It was the afternoon when you passed out, I know that." He slurped down the remains of his ramen cup and set it on the floor. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Sasuke hadn't noticed, but he had been staring longingly at Naruto's neck during the whole conversation. "So thirsty…"

With a sigh, Naruto rolled down his shirt, offering his neck to Sasuke. "Go ahead."

Without a word, Sasuke sat on Naruto's lap and bit his neck. It was _so good_! His blood was definitely the best. He didn't stop until Naruto shoved him away. He sat back on the couch and wiped his mouth off. "Thanks."

"Sure." Naruto pulled his shirt back up and drank some juice. Every time Sasuke bit him, he went overboard. He always left him feeling woozy and weak afterward. This was only his second time being bitten, but Naruto hated it. Hadn't he been put through enough?

"Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"When do you think I'll see her again? I miss her."

"It's only been a few hours."

"I know." Sasuke looked out the window she came through every night with a melancholy expression. "But I still miss her."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. _Man, was he lovesick or what?_

The next morning, both Naruto and Sasuke were called to Tsunade's office for a 'talk'. This is what they had been dreading. Shortly before they had left, Sasuke had disappeared and then reappeared a few minutes later. When Naruto asked what he was doing, Sasuke simply answered, "You'll see."

Once in her office, Tsunade asked them several questions about the previous day. The boys answered "I don't know" to all of her questions. She wasn't amused.

"Both Shino and Kiba were in here before and both of them had told me that they didn't know either. They attacked numerous ninja and don't even remember it. Now you're telling me that your memories are muddled, too?"

They nodded in unison.

Tsunade shook her head slowly from side to side, obviously frustrated. She couldn't get a clear answer out of either of them. "You helped her get away. She's believed to be dangerous. We wanted to capture her and interrogate her. If we decide that she's not a threat, we'll let her go." She sat back in her chair. "I'm not sure whether I should send ninja out to look for her of not. As long as she's not in the village, I suppose there isn't a problem. However, she may return. That's the only problem I have in letting her go."

Sasuke looked at the clock. He watched the second hand slowly rotate around the face of the clock, counting.

"She was last seen in the woods, so I've been debating whether or not to send out some Jonin or Chunin to search for her in that direction. But if I do that leaves us vulnerable in case of attack. A small group of Chunin might be appropriate…"

Naruto gulped and Sasuke looked back at the clock. She seemed to be thinking out loud at this point, but it still concerned Naruto. What if she decided to send out ninja? They'd find her! Sasuke continued watching the clock, still counting away the seconds.

The second hand passed the 11 and Sasuke turned to the window. _5… 4…3…2…1… Now!_

The window behind Tsunade shattered and in came a dark dressed figure with long hair. Naruto recognized the person immediately as Crystal. She stood on the desk and blew a kiss at Tsunade. "Hi-ya!" she chirped. "Sorry about the window. Didn't see it there!" As quick as she came, Crystal turned and fled from the building.

Tsunade jumped to her feet. "She's back! After her! Don't let her get away!"

A couple of ninja in the hall scattered from the building and into the streets. Naruto and Sasuke joined them, leaving the Hokage behind in her glass covered office. As they turned the corner, Sasuke grabbed Naruto's arm and pulled him off to the side.

"Don't bother," he smirked. "That wasn't really her."

"Huh?" Naruto gaped at him. "Then who was it?"

Sasuke nodded his head to something on the right. Naruto turned and saw Shikamaru standing in the alley surrounded by trashcans. He walked forward. "Mission complete," he droned. "The transformation Jutsu was a success."

"Good," Sasuke nodded.

Naruto waved his hand in Shikamaru's face and got no response. "You're controlling him, aren't you?"

With a smile, Sasuke proudly said, "Yup. I told him to do that at a certain time to throw them off her trail. Now that they think she's back in the village, they'll stay away from where she's really at."

"What about him?" he pointed to the spellbound shadow-user.

"Oh, don't worry about him. I told him to wake up when I say a certain phrase."

"What phrase is that?"

Smirking, Sasuke turned to Shikamaru. "Nice work. That will be all."

Suddenly, Shikamaru's head picked up and he blinked in confusion. "Huh?" He looked around the alley. "Where am I? How did I..?"

While he tried to figure this out, the two teammates left the scene.

It wasn't until later that day that things went from bad to worse. Naruto was walking down the street when he found Sakura standing in front of the hospital looking deeply concerned. He walked up to her and asked what was wrong.

"It's Sasuke. They think something's wrong with him," she said solemnly. "He's been acting very strange lately, and the doctors just discovered that he never did a blood test. Tsunade asked the hospital to give him a checkup."

Naruto could feel his heart leap into his throat. "Wh- WHAT? A- a- a checkup?"

"Well, yeah. Don't tell me that you haven't noticed a change in him lately? Even I've noticed it." She looked back at the tall building. "But he went berserk when they tried to get him to go in there. He's been putting up one Hell of a fight. The doctors had to carry him in there kicking and screaming. He's gone nuts! They won't let anyone in to see him. That's why I'm out here. They won't let me get near him."

Now he was panicking. Sasuke was in trouble now. He had no idea what Sasuke had been doing up until this point, but it was clear to him that he wanted nothing to do with the hospital. It was his responsibility to help keep Sasuke's secret and protect him. He had to get in there. Naruto sprinted past Sakura and into the building.

Naruto, disguising himself as a nurse, run up two flights of stairs only to realize that he had _no idea where_ Sasuke was in the first place. He wondered the halls searching blindly for the vampire. That's when he heard screaming. He looked up and followed the racket.

Down the hall, he finally found the room Sasuke was being held in. He approached cautiously and poked his head into the room. Six or seven doctors and nurses were surrounding a bed shouting orders to each other and their uncooperative patient.

"Hold still!"

"We don't want to hurt you!"

"Please lie still! Don't do that!"

"Hold him down!"

"Stop this, Sasuke! What gotten into you?"

Sasuke roared like a trapped lion and kicked his legs wildly. It took four able bodied doctors to keep his arms at bay, pinning them behind him to the headboard. Sasuke kicked again, preventing anyone from getting a solid hold on his lower half. Another doctor threw himself on Sasuke's legs in an attempt to pin them down only to be kicked off for a third time. A nurse stood by his head attempting to calm him through reassuring words, but that was a lost cause as well.

"Hand me those right there! Yes, this should do it."

"Get his legs!"

"Strap him down! Tie him to the bed!"

Sasuke bucked and thrashed, screaming and hollering the entire time. He looked like a wild animal. As the doctors got closer, Sasuke wriggled and twisted this way and that and bounced up and down, the springs of the bed dangerously close to their breaking point. As the doctors and nurses pinned his legs to the mattress, Sasuke continued to writhe and screech and squirm. He wasn't going down without a fight. He struggled against the ropes and screamed when he saw thick leather belts being wrapped around his body. Screaming and snarling and thrashing about, Sasuke fought back as hard as he could. He couldn't be restrained.

It made Naruto sick to his stomach. Seeing Sasuke act like that was horrifying. All that bucking, thrashing and screaming made him look like a monster. It was awful. Naruto backed up against the wall and waited for it all to end.

Several minutes later, the screaming had ceased and the banging had stopped. The medics breathed a sigh of relief and moved away from the room to rest. That's when Naruto seized his chance. He stuck into the room and closed the door.

He walked over to the bed where Sasuke lay. He was lying quietly in the bed, covered in the ropes, belts, and straps that held him to the bed. All those restraints were very demeaning. It made him look like a crazy, dangerous monstrous animal.

Naruto undid the transformation Jutsu and stood at Sasuke's side. "Hey…" he whispered.

Sasuke looked up at him with injured puppy eyes. He had never looked so pathetic. "Naruto…" he murmured. "I've got to get out of here…"

He looked at the restraints. "All your super strength is gone, huh?" He noticed the heavy look in Sasuke's eyes. "They didn't drug you, did they?"

"They don't have to," he mumbled. "It's the afternoon… I fought them off for as long as I could… I'm so tired…"

"Don't worry. I'll get you out of here." Naruto began to fiddle with the straps that held Sasuke to the bed. Footsteps from outside caused Naruto to freeze, look at the door and dive under the bed.

The door opened and in walked a nurse. Naruto watched the pair of legs make their way over to the bed and then stop. Naruto retreated further under the bed making sure that he was completely hidden. He could hear her fidgeting with something on a metal tray and then stop.

"Oh my," she whispered. "I guess you won't be needing this after all. Tuckered out after the little fight you gave us, huh?" Naruto watched as the legs walked back the way they had come and leave the room.

Naruto crawled out from under the bed and looked at Sasuke. He wasn't moving and his eyes were closed. "Sasuke? Sasuke!" Naruto shook him but he gave no response. He was out cold. "Damn coma!" Naruto fumbled with the belt buckles and untied all the ropes. He unlatched all the straps and watched them fall free off of Sasuke's limp, pale body.

"Ok, here we go." He grabbed Sasuke's arms and pulled him into a sitting position and squatted down in front of him. His limp form fell onto his back and he straightened up. The plan was to carry him piggyback style out of the hospital and… then what? _Damn! I never think these things through, do I?_

Deciding to wing it, he opened the window and climbed out onto the ledge. Bending his knees, Naruto sprang from his perch and landed heavily in the grass and took off running.

It wasn't long before the hospital noticed the absence of the Uchiha and began to search the area for the runaway. Naruto crouched behind a dumpster and watched as numerous medical ninja ran past them on their search. He looked over at Sasuke. He was still sleeping peacefully propped up against the fence, head tilted to one side.

_Poor guy…_ Naruto thought to himself as he watched the steady rise and fall of Sasuke's chest as he slept. _As powerful as vampires are, you guys have so many limits. All these problems and setbacks… it must be so hard for you guys. No wonder you asked for my help._

He jumped when he saw a familiar face pop around the corner. It was Shikamaru. He looked down at Naruto and then at Sasuke and let out a groan. "How troublesome… This guy just won't stay still, will he?"

Naruto backed up, shielding Sasuke from view.

"Out of the way, Naruto, unless you're gonna help me get him back to the hospital."

"NO!" Naruto's shout made Shikamaru jump. "Don't take him back there! Please leave him alone!"

"What's gotten into you?" the shadow user remarked. "You're acting weirder than usual. Step aside."

"NO!" He threw himself over Sasuke's body.

"Alright, now you're getting a little dramatic. Move."

Naruto shook his head.

"What's with you? I'm taking him to the hospital so that the medics can check him over. Some people think he's sick or something. I'm not clear on all the details, but I was given the order to retrieve him. Why won't you let me take him there?"

_If they try to treat him with medical Jutsus, they could kill him. Going to a hospital is very dangerous. They might find out the truth and discover what he really is. It their eyes, he's a monster and so am I. Trying to cure him would kill him. _

Crystal's words buzzed in his head like a swarm of bees. He couldn't let that happen. He wouldn't send Sasuke into certain doom. Sending him to a hospital was like a death sentence. Clearly Sasuke understood that better than anyone, otherwise he wouldn't have been fighting the way that he did. He knew he had to get away, but he couldn't do it alone.

Shikamaru made a move for Sasuke but Naruto pushed him back. "I can't let you take him!"

Shikamaru shot him a look. "What's your problem?"

A second later, Naruto discovered that he couldn't move. He glanced down and saw Shikamaru's shadow linking to his. The Shadow Possession Jutsu! Now he was trapped. Shikamaru walked over to Sasuke and knelt down, examining him.

"Sheesh! He's out cold. There must be something wrong with him…" He swung Sasuke over his shoulder and stood up. "Man, this guy's heavy!" He broke the Jutsu allowing Naruto to move freely again.

Naruto watched. What could he do? Jump on Shikamaru and attack him? Reasoning was obviously not going to do anything. If only he had the power to control people like Sasuke could, then he'd… Sasuke! That was it! He had to wake Sasuke up, and there was only one way to do it.

Taking out a kunai, he unzipped his jacket and threw it to the ground. He took a deep breath and stabbed his shoulder.

Hearing his yelp of pain, Shikamaru turned around and saw Naruto with a kunai embedded in his shoulder and blood trickling down his arm. "Hey! Stop it! What are you doing, you idiot?"

Seeing that Sasuke wasn't stirring, Naruto stabbed himself again, digging the blade into his arm. Again he sank it deeper, cutting the pink flesh. The blood poured forth, soaking the ground. Shikamaru rushed forward and grabbed Naruto's hand.

"I said stop it, you idiot! Why did you _do_ that?"

Naruto didn't have to wait long for a response. Sasuke had finally woken up. He kneed Shikamaru in the back as he scrambled over to his bloody rival. He latched onto him like a leech and slurped up the warm, fresh Uzumaki blood. He licked the blood flowing down his arm then attacked the open wounds. Naruto waited until he had had his fill and then reminded Sasuke with a small shove that he needed the rest of his blood to live, and Sasuke sat back licking his lips.

"Ohh, Naruto..!" He licked the blood off his fangs, savoring the flavor. "I swear I'm getting addicted to your blood. It just… Mmm! Tastes so _good_!" As if smelling his fear, Sasuke turned around and his eyes fell on a stunned Shikamaru kneeling on the ground.

As Sasuke swiveled about, Shikamaru scrambled backward into the fence, shaking. "What… What was that?" he panted. "What… wh- what _are_ you?" When Sasuke moved closer, he moved backward, back hitting against the fence. With nowhere to go, Shikamaru just continued to back up though the fence prevented him from moving any further. Sasuke leaned into his face. "No! Get away from me!" He turned his face away, forgetting completely that he was a Chunin able to defend himself from just about every attack that came his way.

Sasuke placed a hand on Shikamaru's shoulder in a comforting way and whispered, "It's ok. I'm not going to hurt you." His voice was soft and sincere. The way he spoke was very gentle and reassuring. "Calm down."

Assured by his tone, Shikamaru glanced up at him warily. His eyes were pulled to Sasuke's glowing red ones and locked. Shikamaru started to relax as the fear drained from his body. Sasuke's eyes were so… hypnotic. He slumped against the fence in a deep trance, still staring at Sasuke.

The Uchiha sat back and looked at Naruto. "Mind filling me in?"

"Well, I got you out of the hospital. That's a plus."

"Yeah, but then what? What were you going to do then?"

The blond said nothing and looked at the dirt.

"Just as I thought."

"Well, if you're so smart, why don't you come up with something?" Naruto snapped back. "Keep in mind that just about everyone's looking for you and they're bound to look for you at home."

Luckily, he had already come up with a plan. He turned to the entranced Shikamaru and said, "I need you to do something for me."

He gave a sleepy nod.

"I need you to hide me at you house. Make sure that no one sees me. Inform no one of where I am. Understand?"

Again he nodded. Then he stood up and led them back to his house. Shikamaru unlocked the door and showed them around. The last stop on the tour was his room. Shikamaru opened the door and showed them inside. Sasuke immediately went to the closet in the corner.

"This should do fine," he said, inspecting his new dwelling. "Close all the windows in here and cover them so that the sun won't find me."

With a nod Shikamaru did as he was told. Naruto stood back and watched the duo for a while before a thought occurred to him. "Won't he wake up the second you go back to sleep?"

Sasuke's head poked out of the closet and shook it. "No, not this time. The one I put him under forces him to do as I say. He won't tell anyone I'm here, but yeah, he will wake up. He'll just keep that command in mind."

Naruto walked to the front of the closet and looked around the inside. "Are you sure that this is good enough? It's so small and there's no bed."

"It's suitable enough. I can sleep on the floor."

"Or hang upside-down like a bat."

Sasuke shot him a look. "I don't do that. I'm not in bat form. I'll sleep on the ground." He let out a huge yawn and rubbed his eyes. "It's almost time. I'm getting drowsy again."

Naruto slid the door halfway shut and peered inside. "I'll close the door for you, ok? Have a nice sleep." He slide the door shut and listened. He could hear the sound of Sasuke curling up into a little ball on the floor to get comfortable, then a few seconds later, he heard soft snoring.

This was a quick fix, but it would have to do. For now.


	17. Chapter 17 biting

**Chapter 17: biting **

Sasuke had spent the night alone in the rain, brooding over his loneliness. How he missed Crystal. He was more than willing to spend every waking moment with her, but now he couldn't. He missed holding her hand and kissing. He missed dancing and playing music with her. But most of all, he missed her. Just being with her alone made him happy.

The next morning, the weather matched his mood perfectly. It was grey and gloomy, rain occasionally drizzling down on their heads. It was a great day for vampires, but Sasuke was too depressed to enjoy it. He wanted Crystal at his side. It had been days since he had last seen her and that was tearing him up inside.

As Team 7 made their way down the street, an all too familiar team crossed paths with them. It was Team Gai, who had just come back from training. Tenten greeted them happily and Lee once again tried his luck with the pink-haired girl. Neji greeted them coolly and the group greeted them back politely. Well, almost everyone. There was one in the group who chose to greet him differently.

Sasuke took one look at him and roared, "I'll KILL YOU, you BASTARD!" He lunged forward before anyone could stop him and tackled Neji to the ground.

Neji, caught off guard, was momentarily pinned beneath Sasuke's body and punched in the face. Sasuke sank his fist deep into Neji's gut and punched him again. As Sasuke kept Neji pinned with his left arm, he continued to punch him with his right fist over and over again. "I'll kill you, you bastard! I'll kill you!" he snarled between blows. Neji gave Sasuke a few quick jabs to his pressure points, but nothing happened. As a vampire, he no longer needed chakra to fight. His powerful gentle fist attacks were now reduced to little more than an annoying pinch.

As he brought his fist up to slug him again, he felt someone grab his arm. It was Tenten. While she prevented Sasuke from hitting Neji again, Lee grabbed him from behind and pulled him off of his teammate.

"What has gotten into you?" Lee asked, wrenching Sasuke back.

"Why did you do that? Why'd you attack him?" Tenten added. She bent down and helped Neji to his feet. This only proved to anger Sasuke further.

"Let me at him! Let me go, Lee!" Sasuke kicked and swung clumsily at his target. "I'm not done with him yet! Let me at him!"

Lee refused to let go. His grip tightened on Sasuke's body, keeping him at bay.

Neji stood up and glared at his attacker. "Let him go, Lee," he ordered. "If he wants to fight, let him. You want to fight me, then fine. Come at me, I won't hide." Neji pulled himself into a fighting stance, ready to go.

"Wait a minute!" Tenten intervened. "Why are you so set on fighting Neji? What's he done to you?"

Sasuke's eyes flashed a murderous red and growled. "He's the reason she's gone! You told the Hokage and ran Crystal out of the village! If it hadn't been for you, she'd still be here!" He kicked and thrashed again. "Let me at him! I'll murder you! I'll bury you where you stand! Come here!"

Naruto understood full well why Sasuke was so upset. In his present state, he could easily kill Neji if he wanted; half strength or not. He had to come up with something to calm him down, but what?

He had an idea. It was stupid and a long shot, but at least he had an idea.

Sasuke thrashed again and managed to break free from Lee's grasp and lunged for Neji. The Hyuga raised his open palm to defend, but it wasn't necessary. Sasuke had stopped in his tracks and looked over Neji's shoulder. A smile found its way onto Sasuke's pale face and kept growing until…

"Crystal!" He sailed over Neji's body and jumped into the arms of a dark-haired girl. He began nuzzling her affectionately and hugged her tightly. "Oh, Crystal, I've missed you so mu-" He stopped and sniffed her body like a curious animal. His wide red eyes narrowed into a glare. "You're not Crystal."

The girl's face reddened slightly and chuckled. "Heheh… I thought it might help, but…"

"Naruto!" Sasuke punched him in the face and he immediately reverted back to his normal blond self.

"I was just trying to help!" He rubbed the side of his face. "You didn't have to hit me!"

"Don't impersonate her, dumbass!" After that statement, the anger drained from his face revealing a very gloomy, depressed undercoat. Sasuke looked as if he were about to cry.

"H- hey man, I'm sorry," Naruto said sympathetically. "I didn't mean to… I was just trying to help."

"I don't need your help!" Sasuke's rage shifted to sadness again as he stomped his foot on the ground childishly and wailed, "I just want my Crystal!"

His emotions were everywhere! One second he was furious the next he was bawling like a spoiled child. Was this really how he acted while being separated from his loved one or was it programmed into him? At this point, not even Sasuke knew.

Sasuke fought back the tears that were threatening to pour and tried to shake the feeling off. What was wrong with him? Why was he so emotional?

"I'm fine," he choked out. "It's nothing. I just… I want to be alone." He pushed passed Naruto and fled.

"What's his problem?" Tenten muttered. Neji glared at Sasuke's back and said nothing, though he was thinking the same thing.

Later that morning, Naruto found Sasuke sitting in a tree by himself staring into the distance. He hurried over to him with the urgent message he had. He jumped onto the branch next to Sasuke and said, "Grandma Tsunade needs us to do something. It's urgent."

Sasuke glanced up. "What?"

"It's Shikamaru's team. They need help. Ino sent out a distress signal a little while ago and Tsunade wants me to go after them."

"Ino sent out the signal? Ugh, she probably saw a bug or broke a nail or something stupid like that."

"Either way, she wants me to go."

"Why should I go to? I'm still hiding from the medics. She sent you, not me."

Naruto frowned. "Because I need your help. I want you to come with me. I'm sure I can handle it alone, but I want you to be with me just in case something happens. Besides, I need to keep an eye on you and make sure you're safe."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I can handle myself."

"Yeah, you were doing a great job back at the hospital the other day."

Sasuke said nothing. With a sigh, he jumped down from the tree. "Ok, let's get going."

They hurried out of the village and toward the area where Squad 10 had gone on a mission.

"What'd Tsunade tell you?"

"Just that Shikamaru, Ino and Choji went on a B-rank mission a while ago and that Ino sent out a distress signal needed backup or something." Naruto jumped over a fallen log. "I hope they're ok."

"Relax, I'm sure Ino just saw something and panicked, that's all."

"I hope you're right…"

The duo hurried down the path in the woods, dodging low branches and jumping over logs and stones. Sasuke sniffed the air and his eyes flashed red for an instant. "I smell blood," he murmured hungrily.

"Blood?" Naruto stared down the path. _Oh, no_…

In the middle of the dirt path they found Ino and Choji leaning over something. Ino was crying while Choji kept muttering something incoherent. They looked up when they saw the newcomers arrive, but they looked scarcely relived. Ino looked a Sasuke though teary eyes and then back down at the person lying in Choji's arms.

"What's..?" Naruto nearly tripped over a pair of legs sprawled in the street. He gasped once he discovered who the legs belonged to.

The genius formerly known as Shikamaru was lying in the street, head supported in Choji's lap, and bleeding profusely. He had a large open wound in his stomach, blood soaking through his Chunin jacket and into the street. His face was very pale, sweaty and he was breathing heavily.

"We were on the mission…" Choji murmured softly. "He came up with the plan. It worked, but there was an ambush and… there was a trap… and he…" He choked back a sob, holding his friend's body close.

Sasuke didn't take his eyes off of Shikamaru for an instant. He continued to stare the blood spilling out of Shikamaru's wound and onto the ground. The blond tore his eyes away and glanced up at his teammate. From the beads of sweat on his forehead, Naruto could tell that he was motivated by some sort of hunger. Just how long could he hold back the impulse to dive right in and help himself to the blood buffet?

"Sasuke?"

He remained silent for a moment then whispered, "I'm alright." Naruto was right. He was fighting the overpowering urge to drink that blood, but the concern for his fellow ninja allowed him some control.

There were many things that vampires knew about blood. They knew what it smelled like, how to track it, how to find a person just based off the scent of their blood. They knew a person's blood type just by scent and it had so many flavors. A person's personality as well as blood type contributed to how good it tasted. Another thing that vampires knew about a person just based on their blood was how long they had to live. Sasuke could sense it. He knew Shikamaru's condition just by looking at him and sensing his blood.

He was dying.

Sasuke knew it and as far as he could tell, so did everyone one else, including the cadaver-to-be. He gave a heartfelt sign and turned away. There was nothing anyone could do now. Soon he'd be dead.

"Well?"

The Uchiha turned. "Well, what?"

"Well, help him," Naruto gestured to the Nara boy.

Sasuke slowly shook his head. "There's nothing I can do."

The fox-vessel didn't believe that for a second. "Yes, there is. Sure there is! That's what we're here for: to help him. We can, uh…" He looked around trying to find inspiration. "Um… we could, uh…"

"Naruto, stop it." The blond looked up. "There's nothing anybody can do now. He's lost too much blood. He'll be dead in a few minutes."

"NO!" Naruto shouted. "I don't believe you! I won't believe that! He's not going to die! There must be a way."

They turned back to Shikamaru. He had lost consciousness some time ago due to blood loss and was starting to turn blue. Ino kept crying muttering, "I'm so useless, I wish I could do something, why can't I help him" under her breath over and over again. Choji never released his grip on his best friend of a second. Tears found their way onto his face, too.

This way painful. He knew he had to do something, but what? What could he do? Shikamaru was on death's door and Naruto was expecting him to do something? _What does he expect me to do? Go back in time and…_

That was it. Time.

That's what Shikamaru lacked and that's what would save him.

That's when it hit him: Crystal's explanation.

"She stopped time for me…" he breathed.

"Huh?" Naruto looked up at him.

Sasuke took him by the shoulder and led him away from the others. Out of earshot, Sasuke explained. "Remember when Crystal bit me?"

"Not really. I wasn't there. You told me about it."

"That's what I mean. When she bit me, I went through a transformation and it's like I was reborn. I gained new abilities but lost old ones. I became stronger, and more durable in some ways. One way is in blood loss. I need blood to live, but only in drinking it."

Naruto cocked his head to the side. "What are you saying?"

"Crystal said that when I became a vampire, she stopped time for me."

"Oh, yeah! I remember that! It when we were at your house and you kept touching her-"

"Moving on!" Sasuke hissed through his teeth. "Anyway… she said that when she bit me, she stopped time for me, which means that I'll never get any older. I'll remain the same age I was when I was bitten. My time has been stopped."

"Uh-huh, I see, but how does this help us out now?"

"Because in addition to that, she also said that if I had been hurt in any way, I would be spared. My wounds would heal instantly and if I had been dying then I'd be given a reprieve."

"Which means that…" Naruto's eyes lit up. "You can save Shikamaru's life!"

"What?"

They turned around and saw two pairs of teary eyes staring at them. "You mean that… Are you saying that you can save Shikamaru's life?"

Sasuke inhaled and exhaled through his nose in a pained sigh. He nodded.

Choji jumped up. "You can? That's wonderful! Hurry, do it now!"

"I… I- I- I can't!" Sasuke shrank back into the trees shaking his head.

"What do you mean you can't? You just said you could!"

"That's not what I mean! I- I…" He turned to Naruto and hissed, "I've never _done_ it before. Crystal never showed me how!"

"Well, you might as well try!" He shoved him forward.

"No! You don't get it!" Sasuke stomped and spun around. "Even if I did know how, you must understand! If I do save his life, it comes at a price!"

"Well, it can't be that bad."

Sasuke grabbed Naruto's jacket and pulled him in close and whispered into his ear, "It comes at the price of becoming a vampire!"

The silence was broken only by the sound of Shikamaru's wheezes.

"Wh… What?"

"If I do it, then he'll become a vampire." He released his hold on his jacket. "That's how it was for me. She bit me and turned me into this in order to stop my time. If I bite him, then he'll become one, too."

"Being a vampire's better than being dead, right?"

Naruto's words struck a cord in Sasuke. He was right. He may become a vampire, but at least he'd be alive. A life as a vampire was preferable to death, right? Unlike Sasuke, Shikamaru had a family and people who cared about him. He was needed, a valuable ninja of the Leaf. He had to live.

After a long period of silence, Sasuke finally agreed. "Alright, I'll do it." He knelt down in front of Shikamaru's bloody body.

Choji handed him over to Sasuke, pleading, "Please, save him. He's my best friend."

Ino nodded wiping away her tears. "Please, Sasuke. Please, please save him. He may be annoying and lazy, but he's still my teammate. We need him." Her tearful words swept away any lingering regrets. He was doing the right thing.

He pulled Shikamaru up into his lap and held him by his shoulders. His head flopped forward, chin banging against his chest. They were running out of time. This was their only chance. Sasuke brushed Shikamaru's head aside, tilting it onto his right shoulder, giving him a clear shot at his neck.

If this didn't work, there was no hope. Shikamaru's time was almost up. He had less than a minute left.

Sasuke took one final glance at the worried faces of his teammates and unzipped the green, high-collared Chunin jacket and opened his mouth.

_Shikamaru, I'm sorry. _

He bit down with his long pointed fangs, skin giving little resistance.

_Forgive me_.

He still wasn't sure of what to do. After all, he had _never done _this before. But he flashed back to that night, the last night of his human life. When Crystal had bit him, he remembered that she wasn't sucking out his blood. It felt as if she were injecting something into him. Whatever it was, it was warm and it apparently was exactly what Shikamaru needed.

With nothing else to go on, Sasuke just sat there with his fangs in the other's neck, waiting for something to happen. He didn't know what to do. All he knew was that Shikamaru's last moments were ticking by fast. Sasuke resisted the urge to drink the blood that was spilling into his mouth. He knew that if he did, he wind up killing Shikamaru faster. All he could do was wait and hope for the best.

Slowly, he began to notice a change in Shikamaru. It was a very peculiar, indescribable feeling. He could feel, actually feel, something flowing through the boy's body. It was spreading to every inch of his body. Sasuke also became aware that something warm was dripping down his fangs. He thought better against licking it and rolled his tongue to the back of his mouth.

A moment later, Shikamaru let out a moan.

Sasuke pulled away and closed his mouth before the others could see his fangs. He held Shikamaru straight out in front of him and then helped lay him back down on the ground. Examining his face, everyone could see that he was no longer blue, but he was pale. His face looked peaceful for a moment, then contorted into a frown and his eyebrows knitted together.

"Shikamaru?" Ino leaned in close.

He frowned even harder in discomfort and moaned louder than before.

Then…

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGGGGHHH!" Shikamaru threw back his head and screamed, eyes impossibly wide.

It wasn't an ordinary scream and defiantly not one that Shikamaru would utter. It was the sound of someone in agony. It was a horrible screeching, blood-curling shriek. He screamed again and thrashed. Shikamaru was twisting and turning, bucking and sweating, showing no signs of stopping.

"Wha… what's happening..?" Ino cried, backing away from his flailing limbs.

Sasuke watched helplessly for several fright-filled moments before finally taking action. He moved forward and placed his hands on Shikamaru's flailing legs and held them down. "Choji, help me! Hold him down!"

Choji rushed forward and pinned his arms to the ground.

"Hold still! You're gonna hurt yourself!" he cried desperately, trying to calm the shadow-user down, but nothing he said or did seemed to work. Shikamaru continued to twist and thrash about, grunts coming from his lips every few thrashes. It was a frightening sight for the group.

"Calm down! Get a hold of yourself!"

His convulsions got worse and his cries grew louder. Screamed echoed through the trees and it was becoming increasingly difficult to hold him down as he kicked and thrashed about. His head rolled from shoulder to shoulder and his eyes rolled to the back of his head. Sasuke never anticipated this. He had no idea that he would spaz like this.

As quickly as it happened, it was over. Shikamaru thrashed a few more times before becoming still and laying splayed on the ground, sweat rolling down his forehead. His head fell back, hitting the dirt and remained motionless.

All that could be heard were the sounds of the ninja panting. They watched Shikamaru eagerly, waiting to see what would happen next. He still wasn't moving.

This caused Sasuke to panic. Did he just kill him? What had he done? Was this how he had acted during his transformation? He couldn't remember. All he knew was that he had overslept and had a terrible neck pain.

Reassurement came in the form of two deep breaths from the unconscious ninja on the ground. Shikamaru was breathing normally now. Pressing an ear to his chest, Choji confirmed that he was still alive.

"His heart's beating normally now."

Everyone let out a deep sigh of relief.

Naruto looked up to thank Sasuke, but he wasn't there. He looked around and saw the Uchiha's shoulder sticking out from behind a tree trunk. He had his face buried in his arms, knees tucked up against his chest, chin lowered between them.

"Sasuke?" Naruto crawled over next to him and sat down, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Sasuke didn't answer. He just sat there hiding his face, never saying a word.


	18. Chapter 18 agreement

**Chapter 18: Agreement **

The trip back to the village was done in silence. Ino and Choji were still concerned about their fallen teammate, but grateful that he was alive. Naruto's gaze kept shifting between the comatose Shikamaru on Choji's back to the silent and stoic Sasuke on his right. He hadn't said a word since Shikamaru's violent spasm. It was terrifying. Apparently, Sasuke was the most shaken by it. His kept his distance from everyone and never took his eyes off of the ground.

Choji stopped in front of a familiar building and said, "Maybe we should drop him off here." He pointed to the hospital.

"Yeah," Ino agreed. "He seems fine, but I just wanna make sure. After all, he should've woken up by now, right? Let's have them check him out."

"No."

The group turned. That was the first word Sasuke had uttered in the past few hours. He kept his eyes glued to the street. "No," he repeated.

Choji was the first to speak. "Look, you did a great job saving his life, really. I'm very, very grateful. But Shikamaru needs to see a doctor. Can't you see he's hurt?"

"Don't." A look of pain crossed Sasuke's pale features. "No, don't."

"Sasuke, he needs a doctor."

"No! Not that!" Sasuke shook his head from side to side, hair whipping his face. "Don't send him in there! Please, don't."

Naruto didn't know what to think. Did this situation really cause Sasuke that much pain? Then again, Naruto wasn't in his shoes. Sasuke was probably feeling guilty that he had turned Shikamaru into a vampire and didn't know if he had done it right. What probably upset him even more was that now he needed training and the only one who could do that was miles away and unable to return to the village. How could Sasuke train him when he was still learning himself? Things were just going from bad to worse.

"Well, I'm taking him in!" Choji started for the door.

Suddenly realizing the danger of that hospital, Naruto reached out and grabbed him. "No, please wait!"

"He needs a doctor, Naruto. Let go!"

"Please wait, Choji! Maybe we could, umm… let him sleep it off?"

"He's going in!"

"He's staying put!"

"Going in!"

"Staying put!"

"Going in!"

"Stop!"

Everyone looked at Sasuke. He clenched his trembling fists and looked at them out of the corner of his eye. "Fine. Put him in, but I don't want any doctors looking at him."

"That's kind of the point," Choji said in an annoyed tone, as if Sasuke had just said the stupidest thing her ever could.

"Let me finish," Sasuke went on. "If you must have a doctor look at him, let me pick."

~*~*~

Shikamaru was resting comfortably in his white hospital bed surrounded by his friends. He hadn't moved at all. It seemed as if he was in a coma. Naruto looked out the window. The sky was slowly starting to clear up now that the rain had stopped. It had been an hour since Sasuke had left and still hadn't shown up. Naruto was starting to get worried.

Just then the door opened revealing a tall, large-breasted woman standing in the threshold. Tsunade entered the room, a meek looking Sasuke following behind her. She approached the bed and looked at its occupant. "Right here?" she asked pointing to Shikamaru.

Sasuke nodded and looked at the grey tiled floor.

Tsunade looked back at the Nara boy. When she raised her hand to his forehead, Sasuke let out a squeak. "Relax," she assured. "I'm not going to do anything." She placed her hand on his forehead as if taking his temperature and waited. Next, she placed it on his heart and paused. Then she pulled out a hand mirror from the bedside table and held it up to his face, squatting down to see. "Just as I thought."

"What? What?" Ino chirped.

The Hokage set the mirror back down and turned to Sasuke. "There wasn't _any _other way?"

He shook his head. "He would be dead if I didn't."

"I see." She looked back at Shikamaru with a sigh. "Well… I did promise, and if what you say is true…" She trailed off.

"Sooo…" Naruto broke the silence. "What's going on?"

"I told."

The blond looked up at his friend. "You… _WHAT_?!"

"I told," he repeated. "She knows. I explained everything. What I am, what I did, and why she can't use medical jutsus on us. She promised. It was the only thing I could do."

"But- but- but…" Naruto sputtered. Deep down, he knew why Sasuke did it. He couldn't keep this up anymore. He had to tell the only one with enough power to do something about it: the Hokage.

Tsunade looked at the door to make sure it was shut, then turned to the others. "Now I know that Naruto already knows, but you two don't. I need you to hear this and understand. More importantly, I need you to keep this a secret. Can you do that?"

Ino and Choji exchanged glances, and then nodded.

Taking a deep breath, Tsunade explained. "Sasuke saved Shikamaru's life, but at a costly price. It cost him his... humanity. He's no longer a… human."

The two looked at her in disbelief. "What… what are you saying?"

"If he's not a human, then what is he?"

Tsunade took another breath. "He's a vampire."

No one spoke. Sasuke looked at the floor, and Naruto looked at him.

Ino gave a nervous chuckle. "You're- you're kidding, right? Th- this is some kind of joke!"

"He… he can't be a vampire!" Choji remarked. "They're not real! They're legends!"

"No, they're not," Tsunade went on. "Many years ago I heard of a clan of vampires who were slowly being wiped out. They are real, but they're extremely rare. Very few clan members still exist, but the few who do are trying to rebuild themselves." She turned to Sasuke. "Which is why you were bitten by her. She wants you to help rebuild the clan."

Ino looked up. "Y- _You_ Sasuke?"

He nodded. "I'm a vampire, too. I've been one for a while now. A couple weeks, I guess."

"When Sasuke bit him, he turned him into a vampire. The transformation will be slow, but…" Tsunade trailed off again. "At least he's alive. That's what matters."

More silence. Then…

"So what's going to happen now?"

"He needs someone to teach him how to be a vampire." Tsunade turned. "Sasuke, can you do it?"

He shook his head. "Not alone. I'm still learning myself. I already told you about her. Would you allow her back… for our sake?"

She scratched her head. "Well, now that we know what's going on…" She paused, thinking. "Alright, she can return. Naruto, you know where she is?"

"Uh, y- yes."

"Go fetch her."

"Huh?"

"Bring back Crystal. I'm allowing her back into the village. She's free to come and go as she pleases as long as she helps train these two."

Sasuke's face lit up immediately. That was a sight that Naruto hadn't seen in a long time.

"One of you has to stay behind to break the news to Shikamaru when he wakes up. Who volunteers?"

"I will," Choji said automatically. "I'll break it to his slowly. But there's something I have to know… Now that he's a vampire, will he be different?"

"Different how?"

"Will he be the same Shikamaru, or…"

"Being a vampire doesn't change your personality. Just you. He'll be the same he once was; only he'll have to drink blood and sleep during the day. Those are the only major changes," Sasuke told him.

"Well, maybe not so major," Naruto said. "He already sleeps during the day. Just don't cook his food from now on."

~*~*~

Later that evening, Sasuke could be seen pacing around the entrance to the Hokage building, eagerly awaiting Crystal's arrival. He had picked her some flowers a few minutes ago and was clutching them tightly in his vice-like grip. He missed her so much; he couldn't wait to see her again after so long. Tsunade, true to her word, had dropped everything on Crystal, allowing her to enter the village free of suspicion. Now, no ninja was allowed to attack her. Things would be just as they were before. Sasuke was trilled.

The wonderful feeling of pure bliss was upon him again. Being in love made him feel so alive. Just knowing that she was returning to him made him feel absolutely extraordinary. How he had longed for this.

"HEY! Sasuke!" He looked up at the familiar yell of his annoying teammate. "Look who I've got!"

Wasting no time at all, Sasuke was in her arms in a second. Sasuke just found her so irresistible. He wrapped his arms around her body and tangled his legs around her hips and clung to her in a tight embrace. He nuzzled her neck and giggled giddily. Oh, how he had missed this!

"Ahem." Naruto tapped him on the shoulder. "Public."

That little reminder brought Sasuke back to his senses. He untangled his legs and firmly planted his feet on the ground, pulling away from her but never letting go of her hand.

"So," she started. "Shikamaru's one of us, huh?"

He nodded timidly, giving her puppy eyes. It made him look like a small child.

"Oh, well. There's nothing we can do now. He's as good as us."

"So there's no cure?" Naruto asked.

"Of course not!" Sasuke snapped. "If there was one, do you really think that I'd still be the way I am?"

"Actually, there is."

The boys swiveled about, staring straight at her. "There is?!"

"Yeah, but you wouldn't like it."

"Tell me! Tell me! What is it? What?" Naruto bounced up and down excitedly.

"The only way to reverse the vampire curse is to kill the vampire that bit you."

Naruto stopped bouncing. "Huh? You mean… that..?"

"Yup. You'd have to kill Sasuke in order to get the human Shikamaru back."

Naruto looked over to Sasuke who gave him a stern look and muttered, "Nah, we won't be doing that."

"Then he's stuck." Crystal looked to the left. The boys followed her gaze.

Walking towards them were Lee and Neji. Sasuke, in his rage, took the flowers he had been carrying in both hands and ripped them in half. Just seeing Neji alone was enough to put him into a rage. A low growl rolled in his throat giving Neji a death glare as he made his way closer to the group.

Neji stepped in front of Crystal. Before he could do anything, Sasuke pushed past him and stepped in from of her, protectively. He narrowed his eyes at Neji, still growling deep in his throat.

Still looking Sasuke in the eyes, Neji said coolly, "I apologize for the trouble. Tsunade told me of what happened. I am sorry for the ordeal."

Crystal laid a hand on Sasuke's arm, signaling that it was alright. She bowed her head slightly and said, "Thank you for your apology. I forgive you." She reached forward, hand hovering in front of his chest. "Shake and make peace?"

The clear-eyed Hyuga looked down at it. Then he reached forward with his bandaged hand and shook it. He paused, and studied her hand. It was so… soft. She had a firm but gentle grip. He absentmindedly ran his thumb across the back of her palm, feeling. She smiled as he tickled her. A second later, Sasuke wrenched her hand free from his grasp and stepped in between them, narrowing his eyes jealously at Neji.

Neji returned his hand back to his side and listened to Sasuke's throaty growl. _So he __**is**__ the jealous type_.

To ease the tension between the two boys locked in a staring contest, Naruto decided to ask a question. "So when's Shikamaru gonna wake up?"

"Oh, he'll be out for a while. He might wake up tomorrow."

Sasuke tore his eyes away to look at her. "But I was awake the next day. All I did was oversleep a little."

"Yes, but you had a different capacity. Shikamaru's lazy, and you're inexperienced. Combine those two together as well as the condition he was in before… Basically, he's going to be out a while. Everyone reacts differently. You'll see."

Sasuke nodded slowly.

"Oh, yes, I almost forgot!" Lee jumped up, slamming his fist into his palm. "Lady Tsunade wanted us to go out on a mission. Me, Neji, Naruto, and you too, Sasuke. Tonight."

"Tonight?!" Sasuke looked at him in disbelief. "Why would she ask me to come along on such short notice?"

"I do not know, but she said that she thought you would be a good contributor on this mission. She wants us to leave as soon as possible. Shall we get going?"

Sasuke was about to bluntly refuse when Crystal held his arm. "I can come along, too. Would that be alright?"

Mind clouded by her radiance, Sasuke nodded enthusiastically.

Crystal looked down at his hands. "Uh, what are those?"

He looked down and saw the remains of his crushed bouquet. He chuckled nervously and presented her with the wilting clump of flowers. "Ta-da?" A few more petals fluttered to the ground and Sasuke slumped forward, defeated. _Oops_.

~*~*~

Since the mission needed to get done as soon as possible, the group headed out at sunset. They didn't get far before it was time to set up camp. They had two tents. One for the boys and one, hopefully, for the only girl. Sasuke on the other hand had a different plan in mind. His sleeping arrangement involved staying with her in a private tent. Not wanting to argue, Neji and the others allowed this on the agreement that they _both_ put up their own tent.

It was easy for them to do it in the dark. Vampires could see quite clearly in the dark. They even finished early and helped the trio set up their's. After a fast dinner, the group went into their tents for what would hopefully be a good night's sleep.

No such luck.

Half way into the night, shuffling noises could be heard coming from the tent next-door. Naruto turned his head towards the neighboring tent and saw its shadow dancing on the fabric of their tent. Every few seconds it would stop then it would start up again followed by occasional grunting and moaning.

Naruto looked at his watch. This had been going on for at least two hours. In the beginning, it was a lot softer and gentler, but now… It was getting to be a little much. He turned to his right and saw Lee fast asleep with his head tucked under his pillow. It was a miracle he could sleep at all, much less soundly, with all the noise happening in the next tent. Then he turned to his left. Neji was laying flat on his back staring up at the ceiling with an annoyed expression. His arms were folded across his chest and his left eye was twitching. He had stuffed his ears full of tissues to muffle the noise but it didn't seem to be working.

"Heh… Heheheh! Oh, yeah!"

That was the unmistakable voice of Sasuke coming from next-door. He seemed to be moving about quite vigorously and was mumbling something under his breath to the girl in his tent. More rustling, then Crystal's muffled giggles could be heard coming from the same tent.

"Ohh..! OH! Sasuke, please..! Tee-heheheheh!"

Sasuke giggled back and yet more rustling could be heard.

Now this was getting ridiculous. Just how long were they going to keep it up?

In the dim moonlight filtering through the tent fabric, Naruto could clearly see Neji's annoyed expression quickly change to rage. "Do they do this often?"

Naruto's eyes shifted from side to side. "Uh… I'm not sure. I know they kiss a lot, but…"

"Whoo! Oh, Sasuke, you're frisky tonight!"

"Oh, God, I missed you so much! MMmm! Mmm! Oh, yeah!"

Naruto could hear their lips smacking together followed by passionate moaning and more shifting, indicating that they were_ really_ making-out. The sound of their wrestling was making Naruto sick to his stomach. He threw a pillow over his head, but the noise was still coming through. They were just too loud!

"Oh, yes, right there… Yeah, that's it… Just like that… Oh, yeah..! I like that… I like it a lot! Don't stop… More…"

Naruto peeked out from under the pillow when he felt Neji shift restlessly in the sleeping bag next to him.

"Yes… yes… yes… yes..! Yes… yes! Yes! Yes! YES! YES! Oh, YES! YES!!"

"If they do that one more time…" Neji hissed through his teeth, gripping the sides of his sleeping bag with his fists. The end of the sentence wasn't needed. His intension was implied in the way he gritted his teeth and hissed his words coupled with clenched fists.

"I know, I know… but I'm sure it'll end soon," Naruto assured him. In truth, he didn't have a clue when or if they'd stop that night.

It seemed to be quieting down a bit now. Their movements became less energetic and the ruckus was dissolving. Before they could relax, it happened again.

"WHOO! Oh, _yeah_!"

"That's it! I've had enough!" Neji picked up a kunai and rushed to the door of the tent, fumbling with the zipper.

"Wait! Wait!" Naruto threw himself forward and attached himself to Neji's leg.

"Let me go, Naruto! I can't take it anymore!" He tried to wriggle out of his grasp but Naruto had a solid hold on him.

"Just wait! I'm sure they'll stop soon!"

"That's what you said before and they didn't! I've _had_ it!"

"Just calm down! Put the knife away!"

Neji looked down at the blade in his hand. "What, this? I'm not really going to use it… unless they make me. I'm just going to bring it to prove my point."

"Sheesh! Who knew you were so grouchy at night?"

"_I'm_ grouchy?" Neji looked outraged. "I haven't had a decent night's sleep in two days! If any! I've been searching for _her _and off on missions. Tonight I was going to get a good night's sleep so that I could function on the mission, but _they're keeping me awake_! How could I _not_ be upset?!"

Naruto rarely got to see Neji get upset. Once, during to Chunin exam, when Hinata had mentioned that she thought that he was suffering more than she was, Neji went into a rage and rushed at her with the desire to kill. It took at least four Jonin to hold him back. Apparently, he got that way when he was deprived of sleep, too.

The blond ninja tried to calm him down. "Just put the knife down and I'll let you go."

Neji reluctantly accepted the deal and drove the blade into the dirt. "Happy?"

In truth, Naruto would actually be helping Neji tear the lovesick vampires apart if he hadn't already made a deal not to harm them in any way. In fact, _he'd _probably be the one with the knife. Besides, he saw firsthand how Sasuke got when he was parted from Crystal for too long. And if Neji, of all people, was the one to disturb them, Sasuke would be the one to go into a frenzy and attack him. After all, he was insanely jealous and angry with him. Allowing Neji to interrupt them was a bad idea.

"I don't think we should disturb them…"

"They're driving me nuts with… whatever it is that they're doing."

More squirming and shuffling came from the tent followed by moaning.

"I… I don't really think I wanna know." Naruto sweat dropped.

"Ohhh..! Don't…uhhn… stop… don't stop..! More… more… oh, more..! Ahhh..!"

Neji looked back at Naruto, eyes aflame and twitching. They were just _begging_ for satisfaction. He needed to silence them.

"Oh, alright, but I'm coming, too," Naruto groaned. He had had enough, too.

Without a word, Neji threw open the tent door and scrambled out. He stormed up to the tent and pounded on the dark fabric. "Open up!" he shouted. "I've got a bone to pick with you!"

_A bone? Man, he's got a whole skeleton!_ Naruto crawled over next to him and knocked on the tent's door. "Uh, guys..? Yeah, um… could we talk?"

He could hear them shifting around inside and Sasuke's silhouette cast across the wall of the tent. He hobbled over to the door and groped for the zipper. His fingers fumbled with it but finally found it and zipped it down allowing the leather door to drape onto the ground. Sasuke's hair was tarnished and about his flushed face. Naruto was appalled to see that he wasn't wearing anything but a pair of blue Uchiha boxers that rode low on his hips. He brushed his dark hair lazily out of his face revealing his dumb sleepy smile.

"Hi!" he greeted as if nothing was wrong. He was unusually happy and cheerful, which deeply annoyed Neji who frowned even harder. Sasuke on the other hand was oblivious to this. "So, what's up?"

"Well…" Naruto started. "We were wondering if you could keep it down just a little-"

"Shut the Hell up!" Neji interrupted. "People are trying to sleep and you're keeping us awake!"

Sasuke rubbed his eyes. "Oh, really? Heh heh… Sorry about that." He didn't seem at all concerned. Naruto resisted the urge to slug him.

"Sasuke…" came an angelic voice from within the tent. "I'm getting cold."

Said ninja's face broke into a huge goofy smile and he turned around. Before he could return to her side, Neji grabbed his arm and pulled him back. "Hold on! I want to make sure that you have everything clear."

"Yeah, uh-huh, sure, whatever." Sasuke lunged but was held back by the angry ninja.

"I mean it."

"Sasuke..?" her voice sang again and Sasuke was in a tizzy.

"Coming, my darling sweetheart!" He reached up with his free hand and curved it into a paw, coiling his fingers like claws and giving a lustful, seductive growl. "Rrrrraaaaghrrr!"

"Ok, that's gotta stop!" Naruto whined. This was sickening!

Sasuke looked back at them. "What do you want?" he asked, seeming to be coming back to himself.

"We want you to be quiet so we can sleep. Are we in agreement?" Neji informed him. "I don't want to hear anymore of_… this_."

Sasuke frowned. "Then go somewhere else. You don't have to be here right next to us. Go away, sleep in a tree for all I care."

When he made to retreat back into the tent, Neji grabbed him again. "Listen, I'm not doing that. As team leader, I order you to keep it down."

Sasuke wrenched his arm out of Neji's hand. "You're not my boss! I'll do whatever the Hell I feel like!"

"Not when you're keeping everyone awake."

"Then go somewhere else."

"You!"

"Make me!"

The two were locked in a battle of wills, glaring at each other. Naruto was at a loss. What could he do? No one would listen to him. He tried to be nice so as not to upset Sasuke, but he secretly wanted to tear him limb from limb for keeping him awake.

Just when it seemed like the two were about to pounce on each other, a pair of long pale arms reached out and wrapped themselves around Sasuke's shoulders. He froze immediately and glanced out of the corner of his eye at Crystal. She nuzzled her face against his shoulder and neck, whispering, "Sasuke… I'm lonely…"

Naruto could practically see the steam shooting out of Sasuke's body as his face turned bright red.

That wasn't the only thing. The boys also noticed that she wasn't wearing her dress. Instead, she was clad in a silky black bra. For a full minute, neither Naruto nor Neji could take their eyes off of her chest.

"What's going on out here?" she asked softly.

Sasuke shook himself from his spell and pointed an accusing finger at both ninja. "They were just telling us to keep it down or leave. So I told them that they could, but then-"

"Aw, come now, Sasuke." She hugged him tightly. "They're only human. They need their rest, too, you know. You all have a mission in the morning, so we should all get some rest."

"But…"

Crystal started to trace circles on Sasuke's arm with her fingertip. "We can finish what we were doing, can't we?" She started to nibble on his earlobe.

Sasuke's eyes rolled to the back of his head an allowed his eyes to shut, leaning into her touch and cocking his head to the side, giving her an easier target. He moaned pleasantly and placed a hand on hers. "Ohhh… that feels _soo good_..!"

She scratched him under the chin and crawled to the other side of the tent, teasing him. He gave a mischievous chuckle and attempted to go after her to finish their love-game. His hand reached for the zipper on the door, but Neji's found it first. He refused to let Sasuke close it.

"Promise me."

"Promise you what?"

"That you won't make a sound."

"If we're quiet, who cares?"

"I do. I'm a light sleeper."

Crystal made her way back to the entrance and leaned out toward Neji. "Sorry for the ruckus, Neji. Go back to sleep. You, too, Naruto."

"I can't," Neji told her. "I haven't gotten to sleep yet tonight. If you guys make any more noise, I'm going to be right back here to do a lot more than complain. I told you, I'm a light sleeper."

"Hmm." She put a finger to her chin, thinking. "I've got an idea. I think I can help you. Come here. Closer."

Neji leaned forward, but not too much. Seeing her dressed (or lack thereof) like that made him very uncomfortable. She pointed to her eyes. "Now look me straight in the eyes. Good. Now look deeper into them. Deeper… that's it."

Naruto watched Neji's reactions instead of Crystal. He didn't want to be caught up in her spell, too.

Neji's eyelids began to droop and his head started to bob. His jaw became slack and his eyes glazed over, staring deeply into her eyes. When she moved her head to the right, so did he. When she turned it to the left, he mimicked her movements, unable to look away.

"You're feeling very tired now, aren't you, Neji?" she asked nodding her head up and down. Neji did the same. "Good. Good. Now I want you to go back to your tent. Once you reach your sleeping bag, you'll fall into a very deep sleep, one which you will not awaken from until sunrise. Now go to sleep."

Obediently, Neji languorously made his way back to the tent and crawled inside, flopping down on the sleeping bag.

Naruto looked back at the two vampires. Crystal had once again wrapped her arms around Sasuke's body and kissed his neck. Sasuke giggled stupidly. "Cr- Crystal! That- that t- tickles!" He reached up and zipped the door shut as she pulled him back in. The kiss-fest started up again.

Naruto crawled back into the tent he shared with Lee and Neji, both of whom were sound asleep; especially Neji. He looked totally out of it. Amused by the peaceful expression on his face, Naruto reached out and poked him. He didn't move. He jabbed him even harder and still, Neji didn't move.

_Wow, he's out cold!_ Naruto thought to himself. It wasn't until vigorous shuffling noises could be heard coming from next-door again along with passionate moaning that a thought occurred to Naruto. _Damn! I shouldn't made her do that to me, too!_

He laid down and relaxed as best he could, the sounds of kissing vampires and snoring ninja filling the air. It was going to be a _long_ night.


	19. Chapter 19 Mission

Sorry it's late!

**Chapter 19: Mission**

Naruto barely got any sleep that night. All he could hear were the sounds of the two vampires in the next tent and snoring ninja. The two vampires had finally settled down two and a half hours ago and hadn't made a sound since then. Unfortunately, a couple of hours of sleep wasn't nearly enough for the young genin. He rolled over and looked at Lee as he stirred in his sleeping bag.

Thinking that his teammates were still asleep, Lee quietly crept out of his sleeping bag and left the tent without a word. A few moments later, Naruto heard counting being uttered from a distance. _Typical… _

Then he turned to Neji. He was still out cold, snoring softly. Naruto poked him in the head. "Neji…" He didn't move. He jabbed him harder in the forehead. "Neji!" He still remained dead to the world. _Boy, he sure is a heavy sleeper._ _Or maybe it's just Crystal's power… _

A minute later, the sun shined brightly in the sky and cast its rays upon the tent. The ray of light touched the top of Neji's head and his eyes fluttered open. He moaned sleepily and stretched, sitting up. Rubbing his eyes, he looked at Naruto. "What?"

"Nothing."

"Then why were you staring at me?"

"I wasn't."

Neji scratched his head and threw off the covers. "I actually feel pretty good this morning. Despite the happenings of last night, I got a pretty good night's sleep."

"So a powernap was all you needed, huh?" Naruto said with mild amusement.

"I suppose." Neji looked around the tent for a minute, analyzing his surroundings then grabbed his bag and began rummaging around in it. "We had better get going. While Lee and I pack up, why don't you go and wake Sasuke?"

"Fine," Naruto pouted.

He crawled out of the tent and made his way over to the one the vampires shared. He pulled open the door and poked his head inside. "Ugh!"

There they were, fast asleep in the middle of the tent. Crystal was lying on her back, half wrapped up in sleeping bag covers and tangled in her own hair. Sasuke was lying on top of her, resting his head on her shoulder and hugging her torso close. He still wasn't wearing anything but his boxers and she wasn't wearing a stitch other than her undergarments and sleeping bag flap.

Ignoring the scene as best he could, Naruto inched his way inside and called to Sasuke in a loud whisper. "Psst! Sasuke. Sasuke!"

Instead of waking up, Sasuke merely hugged Crystal closer to his bare chest and sighed contently. "Ahh… Darling…"

"Sasuke!" Naruto kicked him in the butt and waited for a response.

Sasuke slowly opened his eyes and looked around. Neglecting to notice Naruto crouched in the doorway of the tent, he rolled over and tried to go back to sleep.

"Aw, no you don't!" Naruto booted him again.

Now aware of his presence, Sasuke looked up to acknowledge him. "What?" he asked groggily.

"Mission time. Let's go!"

"Oh." He stifled a yawn. "Ok. I'm a-comin'…"

Naruto raised an eyebrow at his response. _Ok_…

~*~*~

They left Crystal behind in the tent and went on to their mission. Lee had gotten in a good morning workout and Neji had miraculously gotten in a restful night's sleep so they were both feeling pretty good about today. Sasuke, however, seemed to be in very high spirits that morning. He was practically skipping down the path as they made their way toward the village with a stupid smile on his face. The rest of the group started to get a little creeped out when he started humming a happy tune to himself. Nothing about him was at all Sasuke-ish right now.

"You are certainly in a good mood today," Lee told him.

Sasuke chuckled. "Yeah…"

"You had fun with Crystal last night, didn't you?" Naruto teased.

"Oh-ho-ho, yeah!" Sasuke laughed devilishly. "That was _great_!"

"So you like her, huh?"

"I _really_ like her."

Naruto turned his head skyward to spy on the sun trying to peek through the trees. "So this village we're going to… it's in the woods, right?"

"Yes." Neji nodded. "This village is surrounded by trees and covered in shade."

Naruto and Sasuke let out a sigh of relief. "So what's the mission about?"

"Our mission consists of two parts. One, the village has been plagued by rouge ninja for the past month. They want us to put a stop to them."

"And the second part?"

"Three days ago, the ninja kidnapped two young girls and are holding them for ransom. One is a common villager; the other is the headman's daughter. They are both around six years old. The ninja want to make a deal. If the headman agrees to give them all of the village's money, they'll allow one of the girls to be released."

"Only one?! That's not fair!"

"That's the point, Naruto." Neji kept walking as he explained. "They're giving him a no-win situation. If he chooses his own daughter to save, then the villagers are going to either riot or something because he choose his own child rather than a helpless child, showing that he care more about himself. However, if he chooses the village girl, then he's still lost his own child. It's a no-win no matter how you look at it. Besides, they'll no doubt be keeping one child for their own protection."

"Those dirty cowards!" Naruto punched the palm of his hand in anger. "What are we waiting for? Let's go kick their asses already!"

"That's precisely what we're doing."

After the boring task of checking in with the headman of the village, the foursome left for the heart of the woods where the rouge ninja hung out. As team leader, it was Neji's duty to give them orders and arrange a plan of attack. He scanned the terrain with his Byakugan.

"I see the cave. It's just north of here." He turned around. "What the Hell are you doing?"

All eyes fell on Sasuke who just happened to be picking flowers at the time. "I was just thinking that Crystal might like these as a gift when we return," he said honestly.

Neji smacked the developing bouquet out of his hands. "Focus! We're here on a mission, not a date."

Sasuke was just about to smack him when Naruto intervened. "Calm down! No sense killing each other over this!"

"Yeah, the ninja will probably do that for us."

"Right. So let's save some for them… HEY!"

They took their positions as Neji moved toward the mouth of the cave. "Hello!" He called. "I'm here to negotiate."

A small group of muscular ninja emerged from the shadows. "What do we have here?"

"Oh, look! Leaf ninja! And such a small thing, too."

Neji remained unfazed and focused. "I'm here to arrange an agreement with your boss. I'm referring to the two captives."

The ninja laughed. "Before you can see him, you'll have to get through us first."

"Yeah," agreed the second. "Anything worth telling the boss is worth telling us first."

"Very well. I want to cut a deal with you. In exchange for both hostages, the village headman is willing to trade the entire village along with all the riches they own."

"Since when was that part of the plan? How come no one told me about that?" Naruto whispered.

"Shh! It's not part of the deal. It's a ploy. We have no intention of giving them that."

"Especially without the headman's consent."

"Oh, ok, then!"

Meanwhile the rouge ninja began laughing. "What a deal! What a deal indeed! The boss would love to go for that much!"

"Of course!"

"Yes, yes, that's a fine trade," said the third man. "But we won't be taking any tricks today, boy." He pulled out a dagger.

Neji jumped back. _So much for that_. He easily dodged the blade and pulled himself into a fighting stance. "NOW!"

The rest of his team jumped out and attacked. Weapons were thrown; jutsus were flying left and right as a fierce battle took place right outside the cave. Naruto's shadow clones were doing well, but after two rounds with the same ninja, they vanished. He looked to Sasuke. "Are you gonna help or not?! You're just standing there like an idiot!"

It's true. Sasuke was standing still as stone, eyes flashing from one ninja to the next. "I… I…"

"You what? Are you scared or something?"

He shook his head.

"Then what?!"

A rouge ninja was sent flying and landed with a loud thud at Sasuke's feet. Sasuke began to tremble as his eyes fixed on his wounded body. Blood was dripping down the side of his face and arm, creating a small puddle in the grass.

"I… I'm so… thirsty…" Sasuke inched closer to the man and knelt down. His eyes flashed a brilliant red and his fangs doubled in length.

Naruto watched him. What was he supposed to do, stop him? Why should he? It was in his nature, and besides, at least it wasn't him this time.

Before the man had time to recover, Sasuke was upon him. He slurped up the blood dripping down the man's face and arm. Now that he had a taste of fresh ninja blood, Sasuke suddenly realized his hunger. He glanced up, eyes shining red, and looked at the ninja not as his enemies, but as food.

_Go ahead_.

As if hearing his thoughts, Sasuke sprang into action and leapt passed his blond friend.

One ninja had Lee by his throat and held a knife up to his face. Before either of them could blink, Sasuke tackled the ninja and pulled Lee away. "Thanks."

"Stay back, out of my way," Sasuke growled. His voice sounded almost demonic as it rumbled deep in his throat.

The ninja threw a kunai at Sasuke, who caught it between his fingers without batting an eye. He tossed it at his feet and hunched over, preparing to dash. As his opponent reached for a new weapon, Sasuke lunged. In a flash, he was behind the man and landed a swift kick to his spine, sending him flying over the treetops and landing in a crumpled heap.

Next, Sasuke turned his attention to the ninja fighting Neji. Keeping low to the ground, he darted forward. As the tall man raised his arm to strike, Sasuke landed a blow to his rib, successfully cracking three bones and breaking two. He vomited up blood, feeling his lung being punctured. The sight of blood excited Sasuke tremendously. Seeing all that fresh blood pouring out of his mouth and wounds made him go crazy. He latched onto his prey and bit his neck, sucking the blood from his neck.

He glanced up at the fourth and final ninja fighting with Naruto. He had stopped cold once Sasuke's eyes fell on him. He turned to run, but somehow Sasuke was already ahead of him. He hissed in his face, baring his bloody fangs. The rouge ninja tried to perform a hand-sign, but with a simple flick of his wrist, Sasuke had shattered his right hand. The man's howls of pain only served to excite Sasuke even more. Like a cat toying with a mouse, Sasuke allowed him space to move, but kept cutting him off at every exit. Finally, Sasuke struck. He sent the larger male sailing through the air effortlessly with a quick punch to the gut.

Naruto shifted his weight to one foot and sighed. "You just couldn't save any for me, could you?" He looked back at Neji and Lee, both of whom were staring dumbstruck at Sasuke. "What's with you guys?"

"What's with _us_?" Neji barked. "What's with _him_? Did you see that?! How did he… that was… unreal!"

"What?" Naruto shrugged as if it were no big deal. "He always gets like this if there's blood around. The guy can't help himself."

"But… but he is drinking it. He is drinking their blood!" Lee pointed a trembling finger at Sasuke. "Why is he doing that?"

"He's a vampire," Naruto said simply. Seeing the shocked faces staring back at him he added, "Didn't you know that?"

"NO!"

"WHAT?!" Naruto shrieked. "But- but- but y- you said that Grandma Tsunade told you guys everything! That she explained!"

"Yes, about Crystal. About how she's not a danger to us and about how she and Sasuke are dating. Not that he was a vampire!"

"What?!" Naruto didn't know what to scream first. "But didn't she say ANYTHING about Sasuke?"

"All we were told was that Sasuke was a little different now and that he needed blood to stay healthy and that he shouldn't go into light for too long."

"AND THAT DIDN'T TIP YOU OFF!?!"Naruto screamed.

"I thought that meant he was anemic or something. How was I to assume that he was a _vampire_?! I was looking at it logically. How that Hell was I supposed to figure that out?"

"When you heard about the blood thing!"

"I told you, I thought that meant her was anemic! Vampires aren't supposed to be real! Who would think that?"

"Guys."

They looked up. Sasuke beckoned them to the mouth of the cave. "We still have a mission to do." He spotted a few drops of blood on his hand and licked it off.

Lee shied away from him looking almost disgusted.

"What?"

"Come on you guys!" Naruto whined. "You didn't seem to have a problem before you found out that he was a vampire. What makes it so difficult now?"

Lee clenched his fist in front of his chest. "He is right! We had no difficulty before. Why should we feel any different now? Sasuke is our friend and part of our mission. Right, Neji?"

Neji eyed Sasuke from head to foot, debating. "Well… I suppose you have a point. But I have to ask you; being a vampire isn't going to cause you to come after us for blood will it? You're not going to attack us are you? You being with us isn't going to put us in any kind of unnecessary danger is it?"

Sasuke smirked. "Believe me, if I was looking at you as fast food, you wouldn't be here right now. Besides, their blood is good enough to sustain me for now. I don't need yours… yet."

They moved into the cave. The humans had to blink a few times to get their eyes to adjust to the dark interior of the cool, moist cave. Sasuke on the other hand threw his arms up over his head and let out a loud sigh. "Ahh… Now _this_ is wonderful! It's so nice in here."

"I had a feeling you'd like it," Naruto commented.

The foursome made their way further into the dank cave. Several yards ahead they came across a large clearing. The walls were lined with multiple crates and beacons and in the center of the chamber was what appeared to be a makeshift living room. Several stones and moldy logs had been rolled into a semi-circle around a bonfire area.

"Looks like this is where they camp," Neji observed. "Lee, can you find anything?"

"No. All these crates are filled with food and weaponry."

"Hmm…" Neji thought aloud. "Then no one's hiding in any of these boxes. Not even the two hostages. Then they must be with the leader. Let's search for their boss."

They set off down the left tunnel in search of the two girls and their captor. Neji and Sasuke were neck and neck, pushing past each other as Neji used his Byakugan and Sasuke his keen vampire eyes and sense of smell. For once, Naruto wasn't a part of the competition, nor did he want to be. After seeing Sasuke mop the floor with his enemies on multiple occasions, he had thought better of it. Sasuke could easily kill him with a flick of his wrist, so it was best not to get in his way. With their combined effort (though unintentional) the two of them shouted in unison, "They're over there!"

Lee skidded to a halt as Neji suddenly stopped in his tracks. "Everyone stop!" Sasuke kept going, his right foot about to come down on a thin wire. "Sasuke, don't move!"

"Why?" he asked pausing mid-step, foot hanging an inch over the almost undetectable wire. He looked down, still balanced on one foot and spotted the trap.

"They're all over the floor," Neji explained. His eyes scanned the ground. "There are… at least one hundred of them spaced half an inch away from each other. I have no idea what they'd trigger if tripped, but it may be a bomb or something of that nature."

"Half an inch away from each other?!" Naruto stomped his foot childishly on the ground. "Then there's no way we'd get passed unless we use the wall claiming technique."

"We shouldn't do that either." Neji pointed to the walls of the cave. "They've been covered in paper bombs. See? They'll explode if tripped. From the look of it, they appear to be heat sensitive."

"They certainly did not want us to get passed this area, did they?"

"Great! Now what?" Naruto whined. "We can't get across!"

Sasuke smirked, still balancing on one leg. "No problem." He quickly lifted his foot off the ground causing the others to yell. Though they all expected Sasuke to come crashing down on the wires, he never did. Instead he was hovering above them weightlessly. He chuckled at their expressions.

"Oh, yeah! You can fly," Naruto exclaimed.

Sasuke rubbed it in their faces by giving them a small aerial show, twisting and turning in the air.

"Stop bragging!" Neji scolded. "Now, go down this tunnel. In about fifty-six meters, turn right. I can see two small figures down that way."

Without a word, Sasuke took off in that direction. Sure enough, there were two small children huddled in the corner of the cave tunnel. He landed noiselessly on the ground and hurried over to them. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that they were both chained to each other and the cave wall. He crouched in front of them. "Hey."

The two girls jumped and coward away from him. "No, no, it's ok. I'm here to save you. I want to help."

"But… but you're a ninja," one girl remarked, staring at his headband.

"Yeah, but I was told to come and find you. Which one of you is the headman's daughter?"

The red-haired girl nodded her head since she couldn't move her arms. "I am."

"You're dad called use to take you back home. Both of you. My friends and I already took care of most of the ninja. We'd better get you out of here before their boss comes. Ok?"

Convinced that he was the good guy, both girls nodded, pale faces still stained with tears. Sasuke reached up with his hand and crushed the chains in his fist with ease. They shattered and crumbled like cookies in his hand. He grabbed their leg restraints next and shattered them as well. It was all too easy. He picked them both up under his arms and flew through the air back to his team.

"Who's there?!" a voice boomed.

The girls started to cry. "It's him! It's him!"

"Who, the leader?"

They nodded trembling.

Sasuke carried them back to Neji and the others and tossed them through the air. "Catch!"

Naruto flung out his arms just in time to catch the headman's daughter while Lee managed to catch the other in his chest. "What the Hell are you doing?"

"I've got to take care of something."

"What?"

"WHO'S THERE?!" the voice boomed again.

"That."

"LOOK OUT!"

Sasuke turned around just in time to see what appeared to be a large spiked club being swung at his head. With no time to evade, Sasuke took the hit full force to his face and was sent flying end over end into the cave wall, setting off the paper bombs.

"SASUKE!" Naruto screamed watching his friend being engulfed in flame and smoke. He turned to his attacker. "Damn you!"

The ninja stepped into view tapping the club on the ground. "Make no mistake. I was going easy on him. If I had used my sword, he wouldn't be breathing right now," his gruff voice answered.

Naruto clenched his fists and darted forward, only to be held back by Lee. "Naruto, we cannot fight in here. We must first get the children out of here and to safety. There are too many traps in here. They could get hurt or worse."

Naruto grit his teeth. "Yeah, I know, but…" He took a worried glance over in Sasuke's direction. The smoke was beginning to clear and Sasuke's motionless form was just barely visible.

"He will be alright," Lee assured. "Please, we must go."

"You guys go, I'll stay."

"What?"

"You two head back to the village with the kids. I'll stay behind to help Sasuke."

Lee glanced at Neji for approval. He nodded and lifted one girl onto his back without a word. Lee nodded back and took the other girl in his arms. "Good luck, Naruto. We will be waiting for you outside."

After receiving a thumbs-up from Naruto, Lee lifted the girl onto his back and took off with Neji.

Naruto took his position and got ready to fight. His enemy lunged and took a swing at him with the club. He ducked and whipped up a few shadow clones. After several intense minutes, all of Naruto's clones were gone but on the plus side, the ninja's club was broken in two.

The ninja pulled out his replacement weapon, a long sword, and cackled. "Give it up, boy! I've been a ninja a lot longer than you have!" He swung the sword. Naruto ducked. He swung again and managed to slit part of Naruto's pant leg. Naruto jumped back and made another doppelganger. He held out his hand ready to do the next step of his famous attack, when suddenly Sasuke moved.

He swayed and staggered to his feet. His movements looked languid and his was head tilted down as he made his way closer to the man.

"Still alive, huh? Want more?" He raised the sword threateningly.

Sasuke was unfazed. He shuffled forward and stood before him and raised his head. Naruto felt his heart jump into his throat when he saw those eyes. They were glowing red and full of hatred. They looked extremely similar to his eyes when he was in his fox-form. Sasuke snarled, showing his fangs. He was longing for revenge.

The rouge ninja was also terrified by those eyes. He bit his thumb and punched the earth. "Summoning Jutsu!" With a large pop, an enormous bat had appeared surrounded by smoke. It screeched and dove at Sasuke.

Standing still as stone, Sasuke gave the bat a death glare and uttered a single word.

"Shoo."

The bat screeched and fought to stop itself in mid-flight, but couldn't and prepared to collide with Sasuke. With a tiny flick of his arm, Sasuke sent the bat shooting down the tunnel of the cave and into a wall where it immediately disappeared.

"You're in my way." Sasuke voice sounded so demonic, it sent chills down Naruto's spine and froze his blood. Now _that_ was terrifying.

"Move," he uttered to Naruto who instantly scrambled backwards, out of his way. He looked at the ninja. "No one… No one _dares_ strike at _me_ and gets away with it." His voice was so cold and emotionless, Naruto wondered if it could even be called 'human'. It was monstrous. Giving a loud, unholy roar, Sasuke snapped. He lunged forward and body-slammed the ninja in the gut and drove him through the cave wall and out of sight.

Naruto waited. At last Sasuke returned panting but in one piece. He didn't know what to say.

Sasuke spoke first. "I… don't know what came over me." He looked at his blood-stained hands. "He's alive, but… I just… I was out of control..!"

"It's ok," Naruto tried to comfort the shaken vampire. "It wasn't as bad as you think. You won, at least."

"Yeah, but… I don't know. Something inside mw just clinked. It's like… It's like when I got hurt and saw my own blood, I suddenly got such a rush of energy and power. It was amazing, but I also lost myself. I wanted him to pay for hurting me. Like I needed revenge."

"Well, that not too far from you."

"Ha-ha, very funny." He looked toward the entrance to the cave. What about the sun?"

"Don't worry; we're hidden by the trees. Besides we can bandage you up right here."

Without waiting for an answer, Naruto pulled out a roll of bandages and told Sasuke to sit down. He did as instructed and Naruto began to weave the bandages around the exposed skin of Sasuke's leg. They didn't speak until Sasuke let out a yawn.

"Tired, huh?"

He nodded. "I'm starting to wear down."

"Don't worry. I got you covered." He held up the bandages. "Got it? Heheheh!"

"Ha-ha," he said flatly.

When Naruto was finished, Sasuke tried to stand up and walk out of the cave on his own but lost his balance and toppled over. Naruto reached out and caught him. "You ok?"

"Uh…" Sasuke looked down at his bandaged legs. "I guess so. I just got a dizzy spell was all. I might need some help walking."

Naruto agreed and slung Sasuke's arm over his shoulder, placed his own hand on his waist and helped him walk out of the cave. Outside they ran into Neji and Lee who were waiting for them in the woods.

"Are you alright?"

"We're fine. What about the girls?"

"We returned them to the village. They're completely unharmed and safe. The headman's grateful and announced that the mission was a success."

"Sasuke, you are injured!"

"Huh?"

Lee pointed to his body. "You are covered in bandages. What happened to you? We should take care of that right now."

"Oh, no. It's nothing," Sasuke explained. "I asked Naruto to do it."

"You asked Naruto to injure you?"

"No! I asked him to bandage me up so that the sun won't burn me on our way back to the village."

"That's right. Vampires can't go into sunlight," Neji said.

Sasuke started to wobble and sway.

"Are you alright?"

He looked up. "Yeah…"

"You look terrible."

"Well, you're no prize yourself, Neji."

"That's not what I meant. I meant that you're staggering. Do you need help? Are you sure you're not injured."

"I told you I'm fine."

"Then why is Naruto holding you up?"

"Because I'll keel over if he doesn't. I'm exhausted." Sasuke's voice sounded distant and his eyes were starting to droop. Suddenly his legs gave out from under him and collapsed, relaying entirely on Naruto's strength to hold him up. Naruto helped him into a sitting position, holding his shoulder for support.

"You can't make it any further can you?"

He shook his head.

"We'll take care of you, don't worry."

Lee knelt down next to them. "Is he ok?"

"He's fine. He just used all his energy and the time of day is starting to affect him. He just needs to sleep for a while. He's going into a coma."

"Coma?"

"Yeah. He can't help it. Crystal goes through the same thing."

"Wait a minute! Crystal is a vampire, too?"

"Man, didn't Tsunade tell you guys anything?"

"Not that."

"Well, yeah. They're both vampires."

"Anyone else we should know about?"

"No, no. Just them… Oh, yeah. And Shikamaru."

"WHAT? Him, too?! Since when?"

"Since Sasuke bit him. Long story!" Naruto looked down as he felt Sasuke slump at his side. "Sasuke?"

Without a word, Sasuke's head hit Naruto's shoulder and he moved no more. After giving him a few small shakes, Naruto concluded that he was indeed in a coma. He looked back at the others.

"Hey, guys? This is supposed to be a secret so could you please not tell anyone that they're vampires? It's real important."

Lee gave him a thumbs-up. "No problem! We will keep this under our hats if that is what is best. We understand completely, right Neji?"

Neji gave them both a disapproving look. No one had any idea what he was thinking.

"Alright," he said after a while. "We won't tell anyone."

"Thanks!" Naruto let out a sigh of relief.

"We should take him back to the campsite to sleep this off. We'll put him in Crystal's tent. When they both wake up we can pack up camp and go home."

Naruto nodded. He removed his jacket, placed it over Sasuke's head and lifted him onto his back. That should keep him safe from the sunlight for now.


	20. Chapter 20 bath

**Chapter 20: Bath**

Choji hadn't left Shikamaru's side all afternoon. He still hadn't woken up or even so much as stirred in all this time. He was starting to worry. Finally, Shikamaru moaned. He shifted in the hospital bed and slowly opened his eyes. Choji jumped up and leaned forward.

"Shikamaru?"

He turned at his name and squinted. "Choji..? Where… where am I?"

"You're in the hospital." _He's confused_… "How are you feeling?"

He shifted again and moaned. "I've been better. My neck hurts." He rubbed the spot where Sasuke had bit him. "What happened?"

"We brought you back to the village. You've been out for a while."

"Hmm? I have?" he asked groggily. His eyes widened. "Oh, yeah, I remember now! The mission. What about the mission? I was caught in a trap, wasn't I? I remember… I should be dead right now."

"Well, you're not." Choji smiled, apparently more relived than Shikamaru. "Sasuke saved your life. You're ok now."

"He did?" Shikamaru blinked. "What was he doing there? How'd he..? I mean, what did he do?"

Choji didn't answer. He flashed back to when it happened. Shikamaru's violent thrashes, his back arching and his horrible screams. It was a sight he never wanted to see again.

Shikamaru frowned and licked his lips. "I'm so thirsty."

Choji poured him a glass of water with the jug on the side table. He handed him the cup and Shikamaru took a sip and spat it out. It was like dust and soot mixed with slime.

"Ugh! That's terrible! What is this?"

"It's just water. See?" Choji poured himself a glass and took a sip. It tasted fine to him.

Shikamaru looked down at his cup in confusion. "Then why does it taste so bad to me?"

His vampire nature was already sinking in. His sense of taste had changed. He no longer had a taste for water or anything human. But he wasn't aware of this yet. No one had a chance to tell him of his new vampire nature.

"Are you hungry?"

Shikamaru glanced up. "I don't feel it. I'm just really thirsty." He stared at his bed sheets for a long time in silence. "I feel… different."

Choji twitched. "Different how?"

With a shrug he answered, "I dunno. I just do. It's like there's something different able me, but I just don't know what it is. I mean, I _feel_ the same, but I _know_ something's wrong. It's like… It's like waking up with a new haircut. You're the same person, but there's something different about you. I don't know how else to put it."

Choji wrung his hands nervously. He _had_ to tell him, but he didn't want to. It was too difficult. If he did, it was like accepting Shikamaru was different, which was something he didn't want to admit just yet.

Shikamaru could sense his anxiety. "There's something you're not telling me, isn't there? You know something I don't. What is it?"

Choji avoided eye contact. "I… I don't know how to break it to you."

"Tyr your best. I want to know."

He took a breath. "Well… 'member when I said that Sasuke saved your life?"

He nodded.

"Well… it was at a price. You see, the only way he could do it was if he…"

"Yeah?"

Choji didn't say anything. He just tapped his feet on the ground nervously. "He… he… had to take away your… human life."

"Which means?"

"You're not human anymore."

He cooked his head to the side. "What are you saying?"

Choji shut his eyes and blurted out the words. "He turned you into a vampire!"

Silence.

"Ha… Haha..!" Shikamaru forced a laugh. "Hahaha, good one. Ok, stop joking. Tell me what's going on."

Choji turned away.

Shikamaru's face fell. "Are you… are you serious? What does that mean?"

Choji held up the hand mirror. "See for yourself."

He took it and held it up to his face. His face turned an even paler color and ran his fingertips over its reflective surface. His jaw dropped and he turned the mirror this way and that. There was no one in the mirror. He was staring at the pillow behind his head rather than his own face. He looked back at Choji who nodded grimly.

"It was the only way," he murmured. "If Sasuke hadn't done it, then you would have died. I'm sorry, Shikamaru." He started to tremble.

This confused the Nara boy. "What's the matter? Why are you sorry?"

"Because I told him to do it! He didn't want to but I made him. I told him that I couldn't loose my best friend and that we needed you. I begged him to do it. It's my fault you're like this!"

"It's not the end of the world, Choji. Are you sure you aren't overreacting?"

"No, I'm not! I told him to do it! I'm so sorry! You'll never be the same again and it's all my fault!"

It looked like he was about to cry. Shikamaru put a hand on his arm and looked at his face. "Calm down, Choji. I need to talk to you."

His friend nodded.

"I'm not mad at you. In fact, I'm grateful to you."

"Y- you are?"

"Of course. You saved my life. If it weren't for you, I would be dead right now. I'd rather be alive than dead. And hey, me a vampire? That sounds pretty cool to me."

Choji couldn't believe his ears. "Really?"

Shikamaru flashed an honest smile. "I mean it. Don't feel bad. You did the right thing and I'm happy you did."

This was why Choji liked him. He truly was a good friend. He wasn't mad and didn't think that he had ruined his life. He was actually grateful. Choji's face softened and he felt so relived.

~*~*~

"So let me get this straight," Naruto said. "When you bit people, you suck their blood right?"

"Uh-huh," Crystal nodded.

"And when Sasuke bit Shikamaru he turned him into a vampire?"

"Uh-huh."

"Then how come half the village isn't made up of vampires? I mean between the two of you, we should have 'em by the dozens!"

"That's simple. When we want to convert someone, we inject venom from our fangs into their bloodstream and that turns them into a vampire. But when we're feeding, we're sucking _out_ the blood, so no venom is getting in. Get it?"

"Oh, I get it now! Thanks for clearing that up."

The group made their way back into the village as the sun started to set. This was the ideal time for the vampires to socialize with the humans. As they passed the bathhouse, Crystal stopped.

"What time does this place close?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. Usually around 11:00 or midnight. Why?"

"'Cause I thought it would be nice if Sasuke and I could go for a private dip tonight."

"But I thought that water hurt vampires," Neji said. "I read that in a book once."

"Oh, no. It's just a legend. It's not true at all. Water is water, it won't hurt us."

"Oh." Neji looked taken aback by this. "What about garlic or crosses?"

"Crosses, no. Garlic, yes. We get a kind of allergic reaction when we get near it and eating it makes us violently sick."

"That's good to know," Sasuke said. "I suppose we could go to the bathhouse. It sounds like a nice idea."

"Uh-huh. Both of us together."

"Yeah, both of us… to… gether..?" Sasuke trailed off, mind spinning.

She nodded, smiling.

"What are you doing with your hands?" Naruto asked.

The other boys looked at what Sasuke was doing. He was twiddling his fingers and pushing the tips of his index fingers together in a very Hinata like fashion. Neji's brows knitted together. Adding to the Hinata impression, Sasuke then began to stutter in a meek Hinata like voice.

"Y- y- y- you m- mean… in… in… the b- bathhouse… in s-s-separate p- places…. w- wh- with a wall b- between us?"

"No, I meant together in the hot springs at the same time. Together."

Sasuke's face burned bright red and steam started to shoot from his ears. "W- w- wh- wh- wh- what?!"

"Yeah, it'll be fun."

Sasuke started to hyperventilate, face turning an even brighter cherry-red. Neji grabbed her arm, demanding attention.

"I know it's none of my business what the two of you do in your spare time, but this is something I must protest against."

"What?" she looked confused. "Maybe some time you can join us."

Neji's eye twitched. "I most certainly will not! You have a sick mind!"

"What? It's not like we're going to be naked or anything. I'll be wearing a swimsuit."

He blinked. "Eh?"

"Yeah. I'll be wearing the new swimsuit Sasuke bought for me and he'll be wearing swim trunks. We're not going to actually bathe; we're going to use it like a hot tub."

"Oh." Neji regained his composure. "Ahem. Alright then."

Sasuke's body grew stiff as a board and tucked his arms to his chest. "Swim… suit..? Crystal… in… a… swim…suit..?"

"You and me tonight, ok Sasuke? We'll have a nice relaxing dip in the spring. Just the two of us. I'm going to your place to change. See you in a few." With that she skipped off.

Sasuke remained as still as stone staring into space. Naruto waved a hand in front of his face. He didn't react. Naruto gently poked him and Sasuke started to tip over.

"Whoa!" Naruto scurried to his other side and caught him in his arms. "Geeze. Get a hold of yourself."

Sasuke's body didn't bend. He remained as stiff and as flat as a board, staring into the distance with twinkly eyes. Naruto fanned Sasuke, noticing his face getting even hotter.

"Is he ok?" Lee asked looking concerned.

"I don't know. He's not moving."

Lee snapped his fingers in Sasuke's face. "Hello? Can you hear me? Sasuke? Get it together, Sasuke."

At last, Sasuke's body went limp in their arms. Naruto eased him down onto the ground and gave him a small shake. "Are you ok? Say something!"

"…swimsuit…"

They sweat dropped. Naruto let out a groaned sigh and rolled his eyes, slouching in annoyance. _Worried for nothing_…

Sasuke shut his eyes, a frivolous smile spreading onto his red face. "Me… Crystal… hot spring… swimsuit…"

"Yup," Naruto said shaking his head. "We lost him."

~*~*~

Choji spent the entire afternoon with Shikamaru. They chatted about nothing in particular and Choji described what little he knew about his friend's condition. He informed him that no one else knew aside from Ino, Naruto, Tsunade, Sasuke and Crystal. He didn't know who Crystal was, but according to the others, she was the one who bit Sasuke. Choji also told him that he'd have to receive training from the two vampires. Shikamaru let it all sink in before flopping back down on the bed.

"This is all so troublesome!" he moaned.

Choji smiled, relieved to see that his friend really hadn't changed at all. He was the same old lazy ninja he had come to know and love.

"You'd better get going."

"Huh?" Choji blinked.

"You've been here all day with me. You should go home to your family. Get some dinner in you, you're wasting away."

Choji smiled again and rose from his seat. He bid him good-night and left the room. Shikamaru pulled the covers around himself and laid his head on the pillow for what he hoped would be a good night's sleep. Unfortunately, he didn't feel tired for some reason. Though it was late at night, he didn't feel tired at all. He was wide awake.

"Ugh, how troublesome."

~*~*~

Sasuke stood in front of the bathhouse with Naruto clutching a towel to his bare chest and looking around.

"What are you so nervous about?" Naruto asked. "You'd think that by now you'd be used to this stuff by now. I mean you've been dating her for how long now? This nervousness is getting kind of old."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sasuke glared at him.

"I'm just saying," he shrugged.

"I've never seen her in a swimsuit before. And we've never ever… been in… a hot spring… together… before…" He clenched and unclenched the towel in his hands and looked at his feet, blushing.

When footsteps could be heard outside the bathhouse, they both looked up. Neji stepped inside and nodded in greeting. Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"What are you doing here?"

"Crystal told me to escort her here," he said curtly. "Don't give me that look."

Sasuke sent a death glare straight at Neji, clenching the towel tightly in his hands. Naruto was fully aware that Sasuke was angry with Neji about the whole pinning the entire village against Crystal and attacking her thing, but he should've gotten over it by now. Why was he so jealous? It wasn't like he had to be or anything. Neji meant nothing to Crystal, right?

Naruto wasn't aware that there was a reason for his jealousy. Neji was Crystal's runner-up. If for whatever reason Sasuke was an unfit mate for her, Neji would take his place. After all, he was her second choice. That was the main reason for Sasuke's jealousy. He couldn't stand the thought of Crystal picking him. It mad him insanely jealous. Even though Crystal had assured him that she had picked him over Neji because she had preferred him over the Hyuga, Sasuke was still insecure. Just the thought of how close Neji was to becoming her mate, the very idea that their places could be switched, drove him crazy.

"I'm here!" Crystal's voice sang.

Sasuke looked over Neji's shoulder and his frown twisted into a smile. She stepped inside and greeted Naruto with a small wave.

"So," she faced Sasuke. "Ready?"

Sasuke started to shake when he noticed that she was wrapped up in a white towel, her bare long, slim legs teasing him. He forced himself to look at her face as he pulled his towel away revealing his blue swim trunks.

"Cute. What do you think of mine?" She unwrapped the towel from around her slender body and let it fall around her ankles. She was wearing a lime-green, strapless bikini which wrapped around her back, pushing her chest up, showing a lot of cleavage.

Sasuke gave a sharp inhale, face scrunching up as if he were sucking on a very sour lemon, and ripped the towel in half. All three boys' eyes bugged out of their heads, staring at her curvy body.

"Is it ok?"

Naruto nodded vigorously. "Uh-huh! You looked HOT!"

"Thanks!" she giggled. "Let's go Sasuke. This door, right?"

He didn't move. He remained frozen, the two halves of the towel still clutched in either hand. That's when Naruto noticed something. Sasuke had inhaled, but never exhaled.

"Sasuke! Sasuke, breathe!" Naruto swatted his back, forcing Sasuke to release the breath that had been caught in his chest.

"Th- thanks…" he panted.

"So this door, right?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. That one to go out, yeah. That one." She slid the door open and stepped out, motioning for Sasuke to follow. Sasuke tried to move but his legs were like jello. "Give me a push," he hissed to Naruto.

He did so, shoving Sasuke out the door and over to Crystal. The door slid closed as they both disappeared.

Naruto did a double take as he glanced over at Neji. "Uh, Neji?"

"Eh?"

"Do you… do you have a nosebleed?"

"N- NO! Of course not!" he snapped, covering his face and turning away.

~*~*~

Normally, Sasuke had no real opinion about their public bathhouse. He didn't like it when it was too crowded and all these obnoxious people wouldn't lower their voices or shut up. But he did like the hot water and how it always felt so good on his sore muscles and aching body. Tonight, however, he liked it for another reason. And that reason was currently swimming around and pulling the wet hair out of her face. She smiled and waved at him, her wet body glistening.

_Oh, God, she's just so CUTE when she's wet!!! _

She swam over to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He started to submerge, not because of her weight, but because of his weak knees giving out on him. When his chin hit the water, he was in a sitting position with hr on his lap. He traced her hips with his hands under water, exploring her submerged body curiously. He liked it. This was an awesome idea. He loved the feeling of her wet, slender body pressing against his. She started to kiss him and he didn't fight it.

He wanted to float there with her forever.

This was a great idea.

~*~*~

Shikamaru had a difficult time getting to sleep. He already knew that vampires slept during the day so that would explain why he wasn't tired now. But he also felt lightheaded. He hadn't been able to quench his thirst all day. He had tried to eat something, but human food now tasted like soot. Everything turned to ash in his mouth. He knew what he had to do to feel better and what he had to eat, but he didn't want to.

Blood was out of the question. There was no way he was drinking anyone's blood. That was disgusting! So what if vampires drank blood? There must have been some other possibility he wasn't seeing. There must be a substitute. Him drink blood? There was no way that was happening. The very though of it made him feel sick to his stomach.

He had made up his mind. He was going on a blood-free diet. He wasn't going to drink blood. It was too animalistic. He wasn't going to use his friends like an all you can eat buffet. It was barbaric. He was no beast. No matter what happens, he wasn't going to drink any blood, ever.

No blood? What's the worst that could happen?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Wow.

We're almost at the end! I thought it was just going to be about 20 chapters, but I decided to make it a little longer. Just a few more to go!

Please review! ^-^


	21. Chapter 21 Beast

**Chapter 21: Beast**

Two days had gone by since Shikamaru had woken up. During which time, he never drank a single drop of blood. He didn't realize it at the time, but in going on a blood-free diet Shikamaru had just dug his own grave. His body couldn't handle it. He was so hungry and human food didn't satisfy him. He knew Choji very well and understood that he was still feeling guilty for a deplorable act he felt he had committed. He was probably still convinced that Shikamaru's condition was all his fault, so Shikamaru was doing his best not to upset him any further.

When Choji had returned the previous day with a fruit basket and asked to have some, Shikamaru took a banana and nibbled on it. It tasted like sand, but he didn't want to upset his friend and forced himself to swallow. He knew that if he refused, Choji would feel guilty that he could no longer enjoy all the foods he used to like. Aside from that, it also meant that Shikamaru would have to accept the fact that he was different and no longer like his friends.

His life had changed and he didn't want that. He could no longer that naps in the sun or watch the clouds drift in the sky. He couldn't hang out with the others during the daytime like he used to or eat the food he used to love. He'd miss it all so much. That being said, he tried to avoid reality as much as he could.

Unfortunately, it was taking a toll on his new body, especially due to his lack of blood. Now entering the third day of his transformation, he was starting to experience withdrawal symptoms. He had turned an even paler color and now had blue rings under his eyes. His throat hurt, begging for a drink and he was suffering from frequent dizzy spells. On top of that, he could feel himself getting weaker and weaker by the hour. When Choji came in to visit him, Shikamaru did all he could to put up a brave front. It wasn't easy. Every time he spoke his voice was raspy and would crack. He really needed a drink.

Maybe this hunger strike was a bad idea from the start. But he just couldn't bring himself to eat his friend. He had seen old vampire movies and whenever they fed, they'd leave behind empty husks that used to be human. He couldn't stand the thought of it being Choji. There was no way he'd ever bite him.

Although, Choji's neck was looking pretty tasty right about now. Looking at that plump neck just visible beneath the white scarf was all too inviting. He looked scrumptious. Shikamaru's mouth started to water as he stared hungrily at Choji's neck.

_NO! Fight back!!_ Shikamaru tore his eyes away, fighting the powerful urge to bite.

Choji approached. "Are you ok? You don't look so good." He put his hand on Shikamaru's and tried to peer at his face. "Are you in any pain? Should I get a nurse?"

He could smell his blood. Choji was too close. Why was he tempting him?! He couldn't. He wouldn't!

"I'm fine!" Shikamaru pushed him away. "I'm ok. I don't need any help."

"Are you sure?"

He forced himself to nod. "Yeah, yeah. I'm sure. I'm ok. Thanks." He glanced back at Choji and the first thing his eyes fell on was his succulent neck. He turned away. It was all too tempting. "I… I think you should go."

"What?"

"J- just go. I need some rest. I feel tired, that's all." He gave a weak smile. "Please, leave me be, ok, Choji?"

After about a minute, Choji finally left. And not a moment too soon. Shikamaru had to grip the sides of the hospital bed to keep himself from leaping on him. Just how much more could he take?

~*~*~

Sasuke flew majestically over Naruto's head as they waited for Crystal to show up. Naruto kicked his legs over the side of the wall he was sitting on, watching Sasuke fly above his head.

"Sasuke?"

"Hn?"

"How's your training coming?"

"Ok, I guess. Why?"

"Just wondering." Naruto scanned the streets for movement then asked, "Have you learned how to transform into a bat yet?"

Sasuke hung in the air upside-down and looked at the blond. "Well…" His gaze drifted to the left.

"You did, didn't you? Show me!"

Sasuke flipped right-side-up and floated down to eye level with Naruto. "She still says that I need more practice. I… I haven't really gotten it yet."

"Show me anyway."

"But- but it's really messed up!" Sasuke protested.

"Please? Come on, you big chicken!"

Sasuke groaned. "If I mess up, don't laugh."

"Ok!" Naruto waited anxiously, bouncing in anticipation.

Sasuke landed next to him on the brick wall and took a deep breath. He shut his eyes in concentration and brought his hands together. There was a loud crack and a puff of smoke engulfed him. When the smoke cleared, Naruto saw it. Sasuke had pointed ears on the top of his head, a dark brown snout with a tiny bat nose, itty-bitty fangs sticking out of his mouth and claws on his furry hands. To make it even worse, Sasuke had small bat wings flapping on either side of his head where his ears should have been.

Naruto bit his lip and his eyes started to water. He stifled his snickers, but it was no use. He started to belly-laugh, and then it turned into a full-out howl. He threw back his head, laughing hysterically. He looked so ridiculous.

With another crack, Sasuke hand reverted back and grabbed Naruto's jacket. "You idiot! You promised you wouldn't laugh!"

"I- I- hahahahah! I n- never p- promised… hahaha..! anything! AH-hahahahahahah!"

Naruto clutched his ribs as Sasuke shook him, promising to throttle him if he didn't stop laughing. They continued this until Crystal showed up, fluttering down beside them. Sasuke jumped for joy. Immediately releasing the giggling blond and reached out to hug her. He stopped just short of her body and looked into her face.

"What… What's wrong?" he asked sympathetically.

Naruto stopped laughing and looked at the worried expression on her face. She looked so sad and concerned. "What is it? Did someone hurt you?"

"Where are they?! I'll-"

Crystal grabbed his arm and shook her head. "No. I'm not hurt. But Shikamaru will be."

"Huh?"

"He's not feeding. He hasn't at all yet. This will be the fourth night! He has to or…"

"He's gonna starve!" Naruto cried. "What the Hell is that idiot thinking?! Some genius!"

"It's worse than that, Naruto," Sasuke said grimly. "If he doesn't get blood in him soon…"

"He'll go into a beastly frenzy," Crystal finished.

"What do we do?!" Naruto panicked.

"We'll have to convince him to drink blood as soon as we can, before it's too late. It's possible that the next person he sees, he's going to attack with no remorse!"

~*~*~

The bed's occupant tossed and turned, unable to rest. The clock on the wall above the door clicked 9:26. The sun had gone down and so had his hopes of getting any rest. He felt terrible. Shikamaru was suffering. He was so hungry, he couldn't stand it! It hurt! It hurt like Hell! Everything was hazy; his thoughts and his vision. All he could think about was his unquenchable thirst. Oh, how he longed for blood. He needed it. He needed it!

There was a knock at the door and a blond girl entered the white room.

"How'ya feelin'?" asked a cheerful Ino. She stepped inside and closed the door. "Sorry I didn't visit sooner. Business was crazy today! Oh, boy, I tell ya."

Shikamaru wheezed.

"Oh, and these are for you." She presented him with a bouquet of flowers. Shikamaru didn't take them, so she set them down on the end table. "Choji told me that you still weren't feeling well. The nurses said that you could leave once you got better. And by better, I mean get more color in your cheeks and a bit more energy. Lazy as you are…"

Shikamaru watched her as she made her way across the room, fiddling with whatever her hands came in contact with. He couldn't take his eyes off of her neck. That tasty looking neck…

He licked his lips. His fangs were starting to grow. She looked so tasty.

He tried desperately to wipe the thought from his mind, but it was no use. The more he resisted, the more his head spun. He was starting to overheat. It was getting harder to breathe.

Out of the corner of her eye, something flickered from the bed Shikamaru was occupying. She turned. Sitting still and silent on the bed was Shikamaru. He kept his eyes on her, all the while his chest was heaving. She moved closer.

"Sh…Shikamaru?"

His lip rose slowly, a growl coming from his throat. Long sharp teeth were very apparent as Shikamaru's eyes began to glow a very bright red and growled again.

Ino took a step backwards. That wasn't right. "Are you ok? Answer me!"

He raised his head defiantly and a look of hunger passed across his face. He crouched low on the bed, getting into attack position.

Ino backed up, raising her arms in front of her chest in an attempt to show her teammate that she was frightened, hoping that he'd stop.

Instead, it goaded Shikamaru into leaping forward in favor of trying to bite Ino rather than listen to reason. Ino threw herself out of the way just as he jumped off the bed and into the air, fangs aimed directly at her.

Shikamaru snarled as he twisted around, hunching over and raised his head. Ino backed up. He was like a monster.

"Come on, Shikamaru! It's me!" Ino cried. "Snap out of it!" Ino threw herself out of the way, just as he dove at her again. As he rounded about, Ino kicked him in the face and sent him reeling down to the floor. "I'm sorry!" she panted. "Please, I don't want to hurt you!"

The feeling wasn't mutual. Shikamaru scrambled to his feet and snarled, mouth agape. Keeping low to the ground, he began to circle his prey. Ino had to feel her way out of this one. If she took her eyes off him for a second, he'd strike. Good thing she was a ninja.

Too bad he was one too, and a vampire to boot. He jumped up in an attempt to bite her again. She reached up and slapped him in the face, ordering him to back down. He didn't. As she reached for a knife to defend herself, Shikamaru knocked the blade out of her hand and tore the pouch from her belt.

Now weaponless, Ino was at a loss for what to do next, and Shikamaru seemed to know this. With a snarl, he looked down at his hands and almost smirked as long claws began to grow. He went for her legs and she jumped. Sharp claws scraped the floor where Ino had been a moment before, and was once again trying to hold her so he could have a meal.

He leapt again and Ino kneed him in the gut. He grimaced, but relentless as he tried to grab her head. She pulled back and punched him with all her might. He stumbled backwards, coughing. The vampire let out a gasp and dropped to the floor on all fours, holding his stomach in pain.

He knelt there panting for several moments, leading Ino to believe that he was calming down. She cautiously approached. He eyed her warily.

"Shikamaru..?"

Much to her misfortune, he jumped to his feet and grabbed her. She let out a shriek, twisted about and drove her knee up into his stomach. Ignoring the sharp pain in his gut, Shikamaru pushed against her body, slamming her into the wall. From there, he knocked her to the floor and knelt over her body. She pushed against his shoulders, grunting and crying out in protest.

She could feel his hot breath on her face and looked up. His mouth was wide open and his fangs were pointed straight at her, dripping with saliva. His eyes were wide staring into her face and he moved in closer, digging his nails into her body as he held her still.

"No!" she screamed, still fighting. "No! Stop it! Please, help me someone! Anyone, please! Shikamaru, stop!!"

Screaming only made him hungrier and pressed her into the floor, sitting on her legs as she kicked. His whole body was shaking. He was only inches away now. She had what he needed. She was full of it. Blood…

"Shikamaru!"

Hissing, he about-faced and looked at the person in the doorway. It was Crystal. He lowered his body over Ino's and hissed, daring her to make a move closer.

"Shikamaru, please…"

"She's mine!" his voice croaked. It echoed off the room with the sound the chilled the blood. A monster's voice. "I'm so hungry!"

"I know you are."

"Then leave me be! I can't help it! I need it! I NEED IT!"

He moved closer, ready to strike. In the blink of an eye, Crystal slammed a leg right into Shikamaru's side and sent him flying across the room and into the wall. A nasty crunch resounded from his body making contact, but she didn't even wince. He dropped to the floor and rolled over, coughing slightly and groaning in pain, holding his gut. Crystal walked forward, wedging herself between him and his intended prey. Shikamaru crouched low to the floor, hissing at her, tensed up, body coiled and ready.

"I know. But before you kill her for a meal…" she held out a blood packet. "Eat this." She tossed a blood packet at his feet.

His eyes widened and eyed it hungrily. Wasting no time, Shikamaru seized it in both hands, ripped it open with his fangs and sucked on it greedily.

Crystal stood there, waiting for him to finish. Seeing him suck the first one dry and still squeezing for more, she tossed another one to him. He grabbed that one too, a little less desperately and punctured it with his pointed fangs. Slurping on it greedily, Shikamaru let out satisfied moans of pleasure and closed his eyes, savoring the flavor. He looked like a squirrel eating a nut, the way he was sucking on it in both hands, lowered between his raised knees. But he also looked like a baby drinking a bottle, looking so content.

At the moment, Ino didn't see any of this. She was still in shock. She had crawled into a corner and huddled up, watching from a distance. She looked up when Sasuke came in. He snuck up behind Crystal and watched as Shikamaru had his first taste of blood.

Much calmer now, Shikamaru allowed the others to approach him without being threatened. Like a little boy sucking on a lollipop, Shikamaru sucked on the blood packet and gazed absentmindedly out the window.

"Is he ok now?" Sasuke asked softly.

Crystal reached out and stroked Shikamaru's face. He purred slightly and leaned into her touch. "He's fine. He's calming down."

Crossing his legs, Sasuke settled down next to Crystal, still watching Shikamaru as he drank the last remains of blood. So that was the beast… It was scary. And Shikamaru wasn't even a full vampire yet! What would he have been like if he had been a full-fledged bloodsucker?

"Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru blinked back at him, a ripple of bewilderment in his eyes. Staring back at Sasuke, a short burst of understanding came to his eyes, recognizing his own name. He blinked and the last remains of red drained from his eyes, and were replaced with shock. His eyes widened and he looked frantically around the room. He dropped the empty blood packet and scrambled into a corner, chest heaving. He lowered himself to the floor, whimpering softly in the shadows. He looked like a frightened animal, crouched in the corner like that.

Crystal crawled closer to him. "Shikamaru?"

"Don't come near me!" He snapped. "I don't know what I'm going to do next!"

"You're fine now," she assured. "Everything's ok."

"No. No!" He shook his head violently from side to side. "No, I'm not ok! I couldn't control myself. I attacked Ino! I couldn't help it! I didn't know what I was doing. I… I just..!"

She let him stew in the corner for another minute before speaking again. "You're a vampire now. Surely someone has told you that."

He nodded.

"You can't deny your nature. You have to drink blood."

"No, I can't! I don't want to! There must be another way. I'm not drinking blood and I'm not going to attack my friends."

"If you don't want to lose control of yourself, you will have to drink blood!" Crystal snapped in an annoyed tone, her voice making everyone jump.

She was usually so calm and sweet. That sudden change of tone was frightening. And yet, Sasuke found it strangely invigorating.

Her voice having finally gotten Shikamaru's attention, she went on. "You need blood to live. If you don't drink it, you die or come after someone like Ino again. You can't do without. You only get out of control if you don't have it. Understand?"

He nodded slowly.

"We'll train you to be a vampire, which includes self-control. But if you ever do anything as stupid as starving yourself like that again, I'll do a lot worse than putting you through a wall! You got me?!"

Her threatening tone left no room for argument. Shikamaru nodded as fast as his neck would allow.

Hearing her voice rise like that was quite a turn-on for Sasuke. He tilted his head to the side and swooned, "God, I love you."

Crystal paid him no heed and stuck out her hand to Shikamaru, who shrank back in his corner. "Come on," she coaxed. "Come on out of there. Come here."

Shikamaru inched away from the vampire. Was he frightened or unsure?

Finally, his eyes became a little less wary and a little more curious and he moved slowly towards Crystal's outstretched hand. He slowly made his way across the floor, watching her cautiously. He really did look like an animal. Now mere inches away, Shikamaru stopped and leaned down a little obviously catching the other's scent.

Sasuke observed him as he sniffed her hand like a curious animal. Still on guard, Shikamaru sat back watching Crystal. Then he became curious enough to come back to her hand again and sniffed it.

"I don't bite," she informed him and winked. "Well, not you anyway."

He glanced up at her. Now certain that she wasn't a threat, he took his eyes off of hers and inched closer.

_I wasn't like this, was I?_ Sasuke wondered as he saw how cautious Shikamaru was being.

Shikamaru's nose twitched and he sat down knee-to-knee with her. Leaning forward, he began sniffing her arm, chest and shoulders. Sasuke's eye twitched. That nose was getting a little too close to her body for comfort. Placing his hands on her thighs, he leaned up to sniff her neck and face. Sasuke clenched his fists and curled his lips, revealing his fangs angrily. Crystal noticed this and wagged her finger at him and Sasuke restrained himself from walloping him good.

At last, Shikamaru nestled down in her lap and smiled. He brought his lips to her ear and whispered, "You smell really good."

"Oh, really?"

He nodded. "Yeah. You smell… nice."

Sasuke drummed his fingers on the floor, fighting the urge to throw Shikamaru out the four-story window.

Shikamaru rested his head on her chest, listening to her heartbeat.

Sasuke shook his fist at his back and looked frantically around for something to distract him from his rage. He grabbed hold of a metal handrail attached to the wall and clenched and unclenched it in one hand.

Shikamaru seemed to have let his mind wonder off as he sat there in her lap listening to the rhythmic thumping of her heart. "Am I… am I supposed to feel like this?"

"Like what?" She patted his head.

Sasuke squeezed harder.

"I dunno…" he shrugged. "I feel calm… but something else, too."

"What is it?"

He blinked slowly, thinking. "Well… I like the way you smell. You smell kind of nice… I like it."

Clench. Clench.

"And… I do feel calmer. And you… I don't know."

"What?"

Clench. Clench.

Shikamaru fingered her leg. "You're so soft… and nice."

SNAP!

The two looked up. Sasuke had ripped the metal rod out of the wall and was holding it in his hand, glaring at Shikamaru, eyes burning red.

Crystal turned Shikamaru around in her arms and gave him a gentle smile. "That's normal. You'll be fine. Just let it happen."

Shikamaru blinked. "Let what happen?"

"Your transformation. Let it take its course." She allowed him to rest his head on her chest again and gave him a small hug. "Everyone's transformation is different. Everything's going to be fine. Just relax."

He grinned and shifted himself into a more comfortable position in her lap.

Sasuke took the rod in both hands and pretzeled it into a metal knot, grinding his teeth together and watching them irritably.

Ino finally recovered from her shock and inched her way to the door. She watched her teammate being caressed in the vampire's arms and understood. He didn't mean it. It was all an accident. He was fine now and these vampires were there to help. Her beloved Sasuke and Crystal were going to help him. That's when she became aware that there was nothing she or Choji or anyone else could do. They couldn't do anything. They may have been teammates, but they couldn't give him the kind of help he needed. _They_ could. Those two vampires were the only one who could help him.

Putting her hand on the knob, she slunk into the hall and closed the door.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Don't you just love Sasuke's jealous moments?

Please review! ^-^


	22. Chapter 22 Charmer

**Chapter 22: Charmer**

Ino and Sakura sat next to each other on the porch looking out into the street. Naruto and Lee were sparing with each other in the grass. Naruto landed an impressive round kick to Lee's rib, but Lee grabbed onto his leg and took him down with him. It had been warm and sunny for the past three days straight. No one had seen or heard from any of the vampires since the incident in the hospital. Ino and Choji kept to themselves for most of that time, waiting for news. Naruto hadn't seen them for days either and was beginning to worry.

They all went their separate ways for dinner later that evening. Naruto started in the direction of the ramen shop when he heard someone call his name. He turned and saw Sasuke gently float down to the ground next to him, noiselessly.

"Where have you guys been? We've all been looking for you."

"Sorry about that," Sasuke groaned. "Crystal and I took Shikamaru away from the village to train alone."

"How'd it go?"

There was a moment of silence, then…

"He's driving me CRAZY!"

"That bad, huh?" Naruto scoffed.

"The guy just won't leave her alone! He's like a puppy-dog! I don't get any time alone with her anymore!"

Naruto rolled his eyes and groaned, "What's he been doing?"

"He's very clingy. He follows her around everywhere and he's always, _always_ staring at us!"

"Us?"

"Yeah, me and Crystal. He'll just stare at you like you're gonna kill him or something. It's very annoying." Sasuke took a much needed breath and slowly let it out. Once calmer, he added, "At least he's getting better at it and doesn't do it as much. That's good. But still…"

"How's he handling it?"

"Which? The vampire thing or the training thing?"

"Both."

"Well… he's getting better. He's not as good as me, but…" He looked at the dirt.

"What? What?" Naruto pried.

Stomping his foot on the ground Sasuke actually whined, "She's teaching him how to be a charmer!"

"W- What?!" Naruto laughed.

"Yeah! She said that it would help him get female prey better if he knew how to charm them. She said that I'm already a natural so I don't need any training. She's been working one-on-one with him for the past few days! I can't take it anymore!"

Naruto couldn't believe his ears. This was too good to be true!

He jumped feeling hands on his back and a hiss in his ear.

"Now, now, Shikamaru. Behave yourself."

Said ninja turned vampire whined. "Ohh! That's no fun! I'm hungry."

Naruto did a double-take. "Shikamaru?!"

He turned and smiled. "Hey, Naruto! Long time no see." He didn't look like himself at all. He looked more frisky and energetic and… well, awake. The lazy ninja was gone and had been replaced with… _that_!

"Remember what I said, Shikamaru," Crystal warned. "You don't eat unless you use your charm. If I can do it, so can you."

Shikamaru stomped his foot on the ground childishly. "Aw, but that's too troublesome!"

_Yup. That was definitely Shikamaru_…

"But it's easy," Crystal told him. "Watch, Sasuke will show you how it's done."

"He will?"

"I will?"

"Yes, you will."

"But why me? You're better at it. Why don't you do it?"

"Because the last time I did, somebody went into a jealous rage and beat a waiter senseless with a mop, stuffed him into a garbage can, and rolled him down the hill into a tree."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "He lived. And it was just that one time!"

"Need I remind you of the incident involving the peanut butter, the shovel, feathers, the light bulb, and alley cats?"

Sasuke flinched. "Fine, I'll do it!"

"Thank you, Sasuke." She blew him a kiss and his legs went to mush.

Suddenly empowered, Sasuke began scanning the streets for suitable victims. A group of teenage girls were huddled together in front of a busy restaurant chatting. An elderly woman shuffled past them and down the street. None of them would do. There were too many witnesses and taking blood from an elderly person was too dangerous.

Then he spotted his prey. One of his fan girls carrying a shopping bag made her way towards them.

A smirk appeared on Sasuke's face. "Watch and learn, Shikamaru." He crossed the street in an instant and leaned against the side of a building.

The blond girl jumped when she saw him. "Oh, Sasuke!" she squealed happily. "What are you doing here? I haven't seen you in a while."

Sasuke gave her a winning smile and propped himself up against the wall on his elbow. "You look ravishing tonight."

Her jaw dropped. "Wh- what?!"

"I mean it. You look amazing."

She twittered giddily. "Oh, stop! You're making me blush." She turned away. Was this for real? Was he actually hitting on her? It was a dream come true!

Sasuke's charming smile spread and he placed his hands on her shoulders, pressing his chest on her back. She gasped and shivered. He leaned down to her level and started whispering in her ear.

"How is it that someone as beautiful as you is all alone on such a lovely night as this?"

She swooned, squealing with delight.

Naruto rolled his eyes. _Yeah, I can really see him doing that to a girl_…. he thought sarcastically. _I don't believe it._

Surprisingly enough, it was happening. Sasuke was charming the girl and winning her over. The way his breath tickled her face and neck as he whispered things into her ear made her melt. Sasuke whispered something into her ear that no one else could pick up and she turned bright red. No one knew what he had said, but whatever it was, it made her faint in his arms.

Completely uncaring, he dropped her callously on the ground and walked back to the group. "And that's how it's done," he bragged.

Crystal and Naruto applauded him and Shikamaru just shrugged. "I could do that."

"Then let's see you."

He shrugged again. "I don't wanna. It's too troublesome."

"Remember what I said, Shikamaru," Crystal warned. "You don't eat unless you charm."

He pouted.

"So you do that to get boys, huh?" Naruto asked.

"Oh, yes," Crystal told him. "It's easy and there are many different techniques. I'm also naturally attractive thanks to my looks."

Naruto eyed her hourglass body up and down and nodded. "Can't argue with that."

"Lots of guys around my age fall for me. They drop like flies."

"Then how come I'm not affected?"

"I put a block on you. Since we have a contract, there's really no reason for me to control you. So don't worry, your hormones are safe."

"What about Neji?"

"Hmm?"

"What about Neji?" he repeated. "I think he likes you or something. He told me that this morning."

Naruto flashed back to that morning just before he and Lee started sparing with each other. Team Gai was hanging out after training under a large tree. When he walked past them, Neji stood up and followed after the blond.

"Psst! Naruto," he whispered.

"Hm? What?"

"I have to ask you something."

"What?"

"It's about Crystal."

"What about her?"

"Haven't you noticed anything… strange about her?"

"Strange how? I already know that she's a vampire. How could it get any stranger than that?"

Neji looked over his should back at his teammates and then back at Naruto. "What I mean is… vampires have powers they could use to control people, right?"

"…Yeah…"

"What kinds of things can they do?"

"Well…" Naruto thought. "You mean like hypnosis stuff? They can do that with their eyes. I've never been, but I've seen it done."

"Has she ever done anything like that to me?"

"Oh, yeah, a bunch of times!"

He flinched. "And no one informed me?"

"It's not a big deal. She does it for a bunch of reasons."

"How long does it usually last?"

"Huh?"

"How long does it usually last?" he repeated angrily. "I want to know long I'm going to be like this."

"Be like what?" Naruto was confused. What was Neji talking about?

"Lately I've been feeling very strange," he explained. "The other day when I saw her with Sasuke, I couldn't take my eyes off of her. It was very strange. And later I found that I couldn't stop thinking about her. She was on my mind all afternoon."

Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"Also…" He glanced over his shoulder again as if to make sure that no one was listening in on them. "When I do see her… up close… I get this strange sensation. I get hot. It starts in my chest and spreads throughout my body. My mind also gets foggy and I start to get hazy. It's so strange."

"Kmmf!"

Neji looked up to see Naruto covering his mouth with both hands, tears swelling up in his eyes.

"What?"

Naruto shook his head, stifling giggles.

"What the Hell's so funny?!"

"Y- you!" Naruto choked out before doubling over in hysterics.

"Me? Why would I be funny?"

"Because..!" He had to calm down before continuing. "Because, you're not under any spell."

"I'm not?" Neji was puzzled.

"No," Naruto told him, fighting back more giggles. "You have a crush on her!"

"What?! Don't be ridiculous!" He turned away, crossing his arms.

"It's true! It's true!" Naruto laughed. "I think you do!"

"What do you know?"

"I know that you have a crush on her!" he teased.

"I couldn't possibly!" Neji denied. "I've never had a crush before in my life! And I most certainly am not in love with anyone. Never have, never will."

"Oh? What about Tenten?"

"She's my teammate. It would be awkward." He glanced in her direction. "…for both of us."

"… and that's what happened," Naruto finished telling his flash back.

Crystal seemed to be soaking it all in slowly while Shikamaru just stood there passively. Sasuke looked furious. He was grinding his teeth and clenched his fists trying to hold down his jealous fury.

"Well… I suppose he's drawn to me for several reasons."

Sasuke's eye twitched.

"It may be because we've fed off of him so often that he has some sort of connection to us… or me, rather. After all, we've used our powers on him so often…"

"What's the other possibility?"

"That because he was supposed to be my mate if Sasuke didn't work out, he's, for whatever reason, drawn to me."

Sasuke shook and his eye twitched again and continued to grind his teeth.

"Either that or he just has a crush that has nothing to do with me."

"So you're not using some kind of allure on him or something?"

She shook her head. "Not meaning to at least."

Shikamaru looked to the left. "Speak of the devil…"

The group turned and saw Neji peering out from behind a tree, staring at Crystal. She waved at him and he flinched, shrinking further behind the tree trunk. Sasuke cracked his knuckles and allowed his fangs to show.

"Don't be coy, come on out," Crystal called.

Neji slid further behind the tree, hiding himself from view. Only the left side of his face was showing, eye pointed squarely at Crystal.

She smiled and waved the others to follow. As they made their way further down the street, Naruto and the others became fully aware that Neji was still shadowing them from a distance.

_Man, he's shy! Now I know where Hinata gets it from. Must run in the family_…

Crystal suddenly stopped. "I know you're there. Come out!"

Neji 'eeped' and ducked behind another tree.

"Neji!"

Positive that his cover was blown, he dragged himself out from behind the tree and over to them.

"Hi," he grunted.

Sasuke greeted him with a growl and narrowed his eyes. Shikamaru nodded.

A smirk made its way onto Crystal's face as she watched the other's reactions. "So how are you doing tonight, Neji?"

"Fine," he grunted.

"I understand that you might have a little crush on me."

"I don't. You're mistaken."

"I thought so." She moved closer and Neji stood his ground. "You're too strong for that sort of thing, right? That you couldn't possibly be weakened by something as trivial as love, correct?"

"Uh…"

She was toe-to-toe with him now, gazing up into his clear eyes. "Have you gotten taller?" She measured herself against him with her hand. Her hand came just under his nose and he jerked his head back to avoid her hand.

"I doubt I've grow much since the last time we saw each other, which was about three or four days ago," he told her bitterly.

"Either way…" She looked at his shirt. "You've got a little something riiiiight there." She poked at his chest and picked a piece of lint off his shirt. She rubbed the spot with her hand. "There. Better?"

Neji's lip twitched and pulled away from her rubbing. "Fine. Just fine."

"Good."

For another minute nothing happened, then it started up again. She ran her fingers over his chest. His body went ridged and he took a small step backwards.

"Been training today?" she asked.

"Y- yes."

"I can tell." She grabbed his arm and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Ooh, so strong..! I can feel those muscles."

Neji stiffened, staring at her.

Sasuke was trembling. He was shaking with murderous rage. _I'll kill him!_

Crystal rubbed his chest with her right hand kept a firm grip on his arm with the other. "So tell me what you did today."

"Uh, well…" On top of all this she expected him to think?! His mind was all muddled and he couldn't think straight. He tried hard to remember. "I… I trained with Gai."

"Mm-hmm, I know that. You told me. What else did you do?"

"Uh…" _Think. Think!_ "I… I, um… I worked on my… uh, what's it called..?"

He couldn't think with her touching him like that. It was very distracting. But it also felt really good. Her hand wondered up to his shoulder and began giving him a neck rub. Oh, wow, that felt good! It was just what his stiff shoulders needed after a long day of training. Her fingertips grazed his ear and he fought to regain control.

"W… w- wait..! St- stop…"

She ignored him and kept up the one-handed massage.

Whining and growling could be heard coming from behind them. Sasuke was losing control of himself. He had never wanted to hit Neji so bad before in his life! He wanted to intervene and put a stop to this.

Neji shook his head and took a step back. "Please stop. That's enough."

"Aw, but doesn't it feel good?" She scratched him under his chin and his eyes rolled back in his head. He closed his eyes lazily and leaned down. A smile found its way onto his face and, was it her imagination, or was he purring?

He unconsciously moved his hand up to her hip and held her.

Sasuke had had more than enough! He charged forward, but was held back by both Shikamaru and Naruto. "Let me at him! Let me at him! Come on, let me at him!"

"Calm down, Sasuke! She's in the middle of something!"

"I know and I'm going to put a stop to it! Let me go!"

"No! She knows what she's doing!" _I hope_…

Neji opened his eyes and started to pull away. "N...no… please, wait…" he moaned as if coming out of a deep sleep. "I just…"

She started to scratch behind his ear and rubbed his neck.

"I… I- I- I ay-ay..!" He allowed her to touch him just for a few minutes more. After all, it felt SO good!

Sasuke kicked and thrashed about. "Let me at him! I'll kill him!"

His thrashing and threats seemed to be waking Neji up. His eyes open and he once again tried to pull away from her. "Wait a minute..! I can't… You should…"

"Shh…" she shushed him, putting a finger to his lips. "Just relax now…"

She cupped her hand on the side of his face and tilted his head down. He caught a glimpse of her hypnotic eyes and was sent spinning in bliss. She was just so beautiful! And that smile of hers was one that no man could resist. She caressed his face and he leaned down to give her a better target, smiling.

Sasuke was going berserk. He kicked and thrashed about and bellowed in anger. It took the combined strength of both Naruto and Shikamaru to hold him back; but even a demon-vessel ninja and a ninja-turned-vampire weren't enough to restrain an enraged Sasuke for long. He pulled forward, inching his way closer and closer to the two. Naruto and Shikamaru dragged in the dirt as they desperately tried to hold him back. All they could do for now was slow him down.

Naruto looked at Crystal whispering things into Neji's ear and begged for them to stop for the sake of calming Sasuke down.

Suddenly, Neji swept Crystal off her feet and held her in his arms, dipping her down on his knee. Sasuke froze open mouthed. Neji moved closer, a loving smile planted on his face.

"Neji?" Crystal questioned.

"Yes, my princess?"

Sasuke lunged forward again, clawing at the air as if it would help him get there faster. _No one, but no one calls her that BUT ME!!!_

"Could you do something for me?"

He leaned into her face. "I'll do whatever you say," he murmured gallantly.

"Could you let me nibble your neck for a drink?" She stroked his face with the back of her hand.

With a gentleman's smile, Neji lifted her back up and started to remove his shirt.

"AAAAAAAAARRRRRGHHH!" Sasuke screamed bloody murder and clawed the air, desperately trying to get to him. "I'll kill him! Let me go! Let me at him! I'LL KILL HIM!"

Naruto's grip was slipping. This sudden burst of strength was too much! He couldn't hold on for much longer, even with Shikamaru's help.

Neji dropped his shirt carelessly on the ground and knelt on the ground as if purposing to her. He tilted his head to the side offering her his neck. She knelt on the ground in front of him and bit his neck. His face twitched slightly but then slipped effortlessly into an imperturbable trance-like state as she drank.

Four steps away, Sasuke wriggled and twisted about in their arms in one final attempt to reach Neji. "I'll kill him, I'll kill him, I'll kill him!" he muttered furiously under his breath. He stretched his arm out towards his intended prey, snarling.

At that moment, Crystal took one final sip from his neck and stood up, facing Sasuke. She grabbed both sides of his face and pressed her lips against his. Sasuke's eyes went wide, blinking in shock. He tasted blood in his mouth. It was then that he realized what she was doing. She was feeding him Neji's blood from her mouth to calm him down. And it worked! Sasuke relaxed and kissed her back, letting the blood slide pleasantly down his throat.

At long last, Naruto and Shikamaru could release their hold on him without worry. They collapsed on the ground in a heap, panting and cursing Sasuke for being so troublesome.

Crystal parted from his mouth and waited. He licked his lips and smiled. "Do that again."

She laughed.

Neji's head snapped up and he grabbed his neck, wincing. "Ow!" he hissed inwardly. "It stings!"

"Don't worry, it'll go away," Crystal threw over her shoulder.

Neji frowned, remembering. "Don't ever do that again."

She winked. "Aw, like you didn't enjoy that."

"No, I didn't!" he lied. Truth be told, he really enjoyed that. He liked the feeling of not having to think and already missed the pleasant feeling of floating on air. Hopefully now she was out of his system so that he could concentrate on more important things. He had had enough of her clouding up his brain. His mind would be less cramped without her in there, too. Good riddance.

Then why couldn't he stop staring at her?

Oh, God…

"Crystal."

"Yes?"

"Could you take the spell off of me now?"

"You're not under my spell anymore. I already removed it when I bit you."

_Crap._

Then this meant..?

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, positive."

_Then what I'm feeling right now is..?_ No! It was a lie! He couldn't have a crush on her. He had never had a crush on anyone before. There must be some sort of mistake. Why on earth would he be attracted to someone like _her_? She was so cruel and misleading. Underneath her sweet exterior beat the heart of a witch. She was insane! She was a free spirit and did as she pleased. She was a tease! She… she… she was…

… The most attractive girl he had ever seen! Her long black hair, her big red eyes, her hourglass figure; everything about her was so irresistible. And that smile… she was so CUTE!

He watched her sadly as she left with Sasuke and Shikamaru on either arm.

"Come on, Shikamaru! Let's see how you do your first time!"

"Yeah, before sunrise."

"Shut up, Sasuke. Don't rush me. Ugh… so troublesome."

Neji got to his feet and turned to go home. He was feeling a little lightheaded. Either it was from blood loss of his strange attraction to her, he didn't know. He rubbed his neck thoughtfully and gazed at the stars. The slightest hint of a smile tugged at his lips as he remembered the feeling of her hands on his body.


	23. Chapter 23 Troublesome

**Chapter 23: Troublesome **

A nice cloudy day came to the Leaf village allowing the vampires time to socialize with the humans. They sat at a table with Naruto and Choji. Choji was a little unnerved that Shikamaru was acting slightly out of character, but Crystal explained that he was doing a lot better. Now that his transformation week was nearly at an end, Shikamaru was starting to act more like his old self. He and Choji started up their own conversation while Crystal and Sasuke had one with Naruto.

"So did he finally use his 'charm' thing and eat last night?" Naruto asked.

Crystal giggled. "Yes, indeed he did, but…" she stifled more giggles. "I don't think Sasuke's too happy about it."

"Why not?"

Sasuke turned away without a word.

"Because he actually topped him," she confessed.

Naruto's jaw dropped. "What?! He bested _you_ in a wooing contest?!"

Sasuke's face turned red and he narrowed his eyes at the tabled. Naruto burst out laughing.

"It's not funny!"

"It is for me!" Naruto held his ribs doubling over in hysterics. "Go on! Tell- hahahaha- tell me what happened."

"There's nothing to tell!" Sasuke folded his arms and turned up his nose.

"Well," Crystal started. "Shikamaru was hitting on this girl, right?"

"Crystal!" Sasuke whined. "Don't!"

"And all of a sudden he turns into Prince Charming! Complements all around and all that stuff. Then he sweeps her off her feet and had her down like this in his lap." She demonstrated with her hands, hunching over and pretending to hold an imaginary person in her arms, the same way Neji had done to her last night. "That girl went to pieces! She squealed like crazy and did whatever he wanted. I'm so proud of him! That was fantastic."

Sasuke pouted. "I thought you were proud of me…" he muttered.

"Oh, I am, Sasuke. I am," she told him. "But he's new and I want to make sure he gets it."

He glanced over at Shikamaru and frowned. "Still…"

Crystal took Sasuke's head in both hands and pulled him down to her chest, forcing his head to rest on her breast. A blush crept onto his face. "Now, now, Sasuke. You needn't be jealous. You know that you're my mate, right? I chose you and no other."

Sasuke relaxed at her words and let her stroke his head.

No one knew it at the time, but there was another among them. Neji was crouched behind a bench across the street watching the scene unfold. And by scene, that of course meant Crystal. He still wasn't sure why he had such an utter fascination with her, but he felt compelled to follow her around and watch her. He couldn't help but long for that to be him on her lap instead of Sasuke. He wanted so much to switch places with him and be near Crystal.

There was something mysterious about her that Neji found so attractive. She possessed a mysterious allure that mesmerized Neji into following her around wherever she went. Her dark hair looked especially shiny and wavy this morning. And her eyes were so big and sparkly. He found every inch of her so utterly adorable. He couldn't help but love her.

"Neji?"

He shrieked and spun around in surprise. "Don't DO that!"

"Sorry," said the green beast. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing! Go away." Neji went back to crouching behind the bench, eyes focusing on something across the street.

Lee squatted next to him. "Are you looking at Crystal?"

"N- no."

"Oh, I believe you are!" Lee's eyes suddenly lit up. "Neji! Are you having a youthful experience?"

"Huh?"

"Are you finding yourself attracted to that girl?"

Neji spun around. "No, I'm not!"

"Do you perhaps have a crush on the fair maiden?"

"I most certainly do not!" he spat.

"Then why are you staring at her?"

Neji flinched. He had to think of something fast. "I… I still don't trust her and I want to make sure that she's helping Shikamaru get through this. That's all."

Good thing Lee was so gullible.

"I do not think that you are telling me the truth." Well, maybe not _that_ gullible…

"I don't have a crush on her! Now leave me alone."

"Then why are you getting so defensive?"

"I'm not getting defensive!"

Lee grew quite and allowed Neji to observe her in peace for a few more minutes. Then he stood up and bellowed, "Hey, Crystal!"

"NO!" Neji tackled Lee to the ground covering his mouth with both hands. "Don't! I don't want her to find me."

"Hi, Neji!" Crystal waved to him from across the street.

He yelped and dove behind the bench. He could hear her giggling and blushed. He loved that laugh of hers.

From across the street, Naruto and the rest of the group watched him in amusement, except for Sasuke who was, of course, glaring at him.

"Are you _sure_ he's not under your spell?" Naruto asked.

"I'm positive," Crystal assured him. "For all I know, it could just be a side-effect due to us using our powers on him so frequently. Nothing to worry about. I'm sure he'll be fine, or snap out of it. Whichever comes first."

~*~*~

All three vampires slept in Sasuke's bed that afternoon. Crystal slept on the right side of the bed while Sasuke took up the left. Shikamaru had somehow managed to worm his way in-between both of them, and was now sleeping quite peacefully curled up in a little ball. He not only did this because it was warm and comfortable, but mostly because they made him feel safe.

Sasuke was the first to wake up. He glanced down feeling a pressure on his side. He found Shikamaru sleeping between them, face dangerously close to Crystal's body. Hating being separated, Sasuke effortlessly picked Shikamaru up and dropped him at the foot of the bed and cuddled with Crystal. Shikamaru snuggled into his new surroundings, never waking up.

Two minutes later, feeling the absence of warmth, Shikamaru groped for the covers. His hand wondered up the length of the bed, searching. Mistaking Sasuke's pant leg for a blanket, his fingers wrapped around it and gave a mighty tug. Sasuke was dragged away from Crystal and down the length of the bed. Discovering the cause of the disturbance, Sasuke twisted around and kicked Shikamaru in the face.

"Get the Hell off me!"

Shikamaru was sent tumbling off the bed and onto the floor with a loud _thunk_! His eyes shot open and he looked wildly around. He saw Sasuke climbing back up into bed and tucked the covers around them and rested his head on Crystal's shoulder. Shikamaru frowned and got to his feet. He grabbed the covers and pulled them off of the two vampires and wrapped them around himself. Sasuke shot up in bed and looked at Shikamaru who was currently giving him a smug smile and sat down on the floor to sleep.

That wouldn't do. Sasuke leapt out of bed and jumped on Shikamaru. He grabbed the covers and pulled. Shikamaru pulled back and in no time were locked in an unyielding tug of war. The blanket ripped straight down the middle and both vampires fell backwards into opposite walls. They got to their feet and glared at each other.

Crystal woke up to find two vampires staring each other down in the middle of the room, snarling and showing their fangs. She shook her head. _Boys_…

A few blocks away, Neji found himself plagued with insomnia. He couldn't sleep and was forced to stare at the ceiling absentmindedly. He still couldn't get Crystal out of his mind. It was horrible! He couldn't talk; he couldn't think… everything was all about her. Everything reminded him of her. When he saw the color black, he thought of her. And whenever he saw a cat he was reminded of her because it rhymed with 'bat'. It was mindboggling! He had to get her out of his system somehow, but nothing he did was working.

Neji swung his legs over the side of his bed and stood up. Maybe a walk would help clear his mind. He put on his jacket and shoes and left.

As he made his way down the street, he became aware that someone was following him. "Who's there?" he called. No answer. "Come on out!"

Finally, something moved out from behind a building. Shikamaru stepped out into the street and waved at Neji. "Don't worry, it's just me."

Neji relaxed. "What are you doing out here?"

"What do you think? I'm hungry. I'm looking for something to eat."

"Don't you mean 'someone'?"

Shikamaru laughed. "Very funny. No, I don't _eat_ people. Just drink their blood."

"That's comforting." Neji looked down the street. "Is Crystal around?"

To his surprise, Shikamaru stepped up to him and started sniffing his body.

"What _are_ you doing?" he said giving him a quizzical look and stepping back.

"You like her, don't you?"

Neji gawked at him. "You… you knew that just by catching my scent?!"

"Not really," he explained. "I just knew it already. And thanks for verifying it for me."

Neji's faced turned red. Was it that obvious? "Then why are you sniffing me?"

"Because I'm hungry and I can smell your blood." He sniffed again. "Can I please have just a little taste?"

"It's not going to hurt is it?" Neji asked warily.

Shikamaru shook his head. "Not if you do as I say."

The prodigy nodded and unzipped part of his jacket allowing his neck to show. "You do know what you're doing, right?"

"Quit worrying. I told you, it's easy and you won't feel a thing if you do as I say." He stepped up to his victim and licked his lips.

"So you've done this before?"

"Yeah, but this is my first time doing it by myself. I usually have Crystal coaching me while I'm doing it without her help. But yeah, I know what I'm doing. Now hold still."

Neji was less than confidant now. Nonetheless, he listened to all of Shikamaru's instructions. When he looked into his eyes he started to feel sleepy. His whole body went numb and his eyes grew heavy. Shikamaru held Neji close to his body for support and bit his neck.

Naruto landed in front of Shikamaru and waved. "Hey, Shikamaru, what's up?"

The vampire looked up. "Oh, hey Nawoto," he lisped.

"Why do you sound so weird?"

"'Cause I'm in 'eh mi'hul o' son't'in," he said hold his fangs in Neji's neck. He parted from the Hyuga and patted him on the shoulder. "All done!"

Neji staggered and swayed. "I… I don't feel so good…" he moaned.

"Yeah, sorry. The dizziness should go away. You should try to eat something in the meantime. That should help."

Neji staggered again and fell to the ground. "Sh…Shikamaru..?"

"Yeah?"

"You should… practice… a bit… more…"

"Ugh! Fine, I'm sorry, ok? I didn't mean to hurt you or nothing."

"No, no… I'm not hurt. I just feel weird."

"Weird how?"

"I feel… dizzy and lightheaded," he said holding his head.

"That's normal. It should go away soon. Just go home and sleep it off, ok?"

Neji staggered to his feet with Naruto's help and limped back to his house. Maybe they've been feeding off of him too much. He felt terrible. His whole body was shaking and it was getting hard to breathe. He collapsed on the bed and tried to relax.

_They said I'd be fine. He's a vampire, he should know. I'm going to be alright. It was Shikamaru's first time. He just needs more practice. That's all_…

He was sweating by the buckets now and he felt so hot and cold at the same time. He started shaking and his chest was heaving, trying to take in another breath. It was getting worse. He never recalled being in so much pain before after being beaten. Actually, he never remembered being bitten. He always remembered waking up in a hospital bed feeling confused and in pain. He let out a moan and rolled his head from shoulder to shoulder.

Suddenly, his back arched and he went into convulsions. He couldn't control his spasms and they were getting worse by the second. He started screaming at the top of his lungs unable to contain himself. The Hyuga was twisting and turning, bucking on the bed, the springs underneath him dangerously close to their breaking point. Neji continued to twist and thrash about, grunts coming from his lips every few thrashes. His thrashes got more violent and his screams grew louder, writhing in agony.

His final yell echoed through the room and came back to him in a softer tone. He lay splayed on the bed, sweat rolling down his forehead, his mouth partly open and his eyes wide with shock. Ever so slowly, his eyes started to close.

He laid there motionless on the bed.

~*~*~

It was a wonderful night for the vampires, despite the earlier quarrel over the bed. Shikamaru was trusted on his own, mostly because he had snuck away from them before they had time to notice, and the two lovers couldn't care less at this point. They hadn't had a night alone together for so long and they missed it. After feeding, the two vampires returned home. While Sasuke stood on the porch scanning the streets for Shikamaru, Crystal took a shower.

_What is taking that idiot so long to get back?_ Sasuke thought bitterly. _The guy might have finished his transformation officially tonight, but still! The sun can hurt you now, I hope you know. Well, at least we still have a couple hours left to go before the sun actually does come up_…

Sasuke returned inside and pulled out a book from the shelf. "Shikamaru's more like a puppy, if you ask me… At least I don't have to worry about anymore vampires showing up anytime soon for training. I don't know how much more of this I can take."

The door to the bathroom swung open and Crystal stepped out in a brown towel. "Sasuke, do you have any extra towels?"

The book slipped from his hands. "Huh?" he muttered vaguely, staring at her wet, toweled body. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Towels?"

"Eh… Oh, Oh! Yeah, right, sure. Uh, they're in the… the, um… the thing in there."

"You mean the closet?"

"Yeah, that's it." She thanked him and returned to the bathroom. Sasuke picked up the book, disappointed. He was actually hoping for that towel to fall off.

A few minutes later she emerged again, not in a towel, but wearing one of his shirts. She sat on the bed and crossed her legs.

"Oy…" Sasuke shivered.

"What?" she asked.

"N- no- nothing," he stuttered and buried his nose in the book. He wasn't actually reading, of course.

Moments later he felt something on his neck. Shivering, he turned his head. Crystal was trailing one of her dresses against his body. As he turned his head, she lassoed it around his shoulders and across his neck playfully. He loved the feeling of her clothes on his body and he especially loved the way she did it. He inhaled her aroma. She smelled of soap and flowers. It sent shivers down his spine. She blew in his ear and retreated to the bed. She crossed her legs, leaned back and waited for his answer.

Well, Shikamaru wasn't going to be back for a while… "Aw, Hell." Sasuke threw the book aside and jumped on the bed.

She laid her hands on his knees, bending forward slightly and smirked with luscious lips. "Sasuke …" she breathed. Crystal's fingers gently stroked his cheek affectionately. She brought her lips closer to his and kissed him. He watched her for a moment before letting his eyes slide closed.

He was far too intoxicated by the way Crystal had captured his mouth to care when or if Shikamaru ever came back. Everything inside him was on fire. As her tongue ran along his bottom lip Sasuke couldn't help but let loose a quiet moan. It was a feral desire that willed Sasuke forward. The strength and warmth pressing against him was too good to deny. He parted his mouth allowing her to slip her tongue between his teeth. They didn't often kiss like this, but this rare treat excited his skin and made his blood pump faster and allowed his body relaxing under his mate's gentle touches.

He pressed harder into the kiss, savoring Crystal's unique taste. The vampire's legs came up on either side of his body so that she was now straddling his hips, and Sasuke put his hands on her shoulders pulling her in closer, holding her steady. His hands trailed down to her hips and she shivered slightly at his touch. Her hands were roving all over him, and that tongue was igniting his soul.

The female vampire had moved from Sasuke's mouth, kissing her way down his neck. He loved the feeling of her kissing his neck. The way her lips sucked at his skin was absolutely wonderful. He leaned his head forward more, encouraging Crystal to suck just a little harder. She giggled as she felt her mate relaxing even more under her touch.

Sasuke opened his eyes and blinked through the haze of his lust. He could feel his own resolve fading away, but he didn't care. It felt so good. It was nothing more than a massage while kissing, but to him in was his own piece of heaven. He felt himself falling deeper and deeper into the feeling until he knew he would no longer be able to resist. He hugged her tightly in his arms and moaned with pleasure. Leaning his neck to the side to give her better access, Sasuke's grip tightened as he felt her tickling his neck with her lips and breath. He giggled back and they parted to look at each other. After locking eyes, they returned to kissing and holding each other in a loving embrace.

"I still think that we should have followed him home. The guy looked sick."

"Naruto, I know what I'm doing."

"I know, but I'm a little worried. Would it have killed you just to check in on him?"

"Why take chances? I'm sure he's fine. Going all the way back there would be far too troublesome."

Naruto opened the door to Sasuke's room and froze in the door way, eyes bugging out of his head. He couldn't take his eye off of them for a second. Sasuke and Crystal were hugging each other while kissing on Sasuke's bed.

Shikamaru groaned. "Hey, Sasuke?"

Sasuke batted them away with his hand, never breaking the kiss. He returned his hand to her back, ignoring the two in the doorway.

"Sasuke," Shikamaru repeated.

"MMM-Hmm-mmf!" Sasuke moaned into Crystal's mouth, shooing them away with his hand. His muffled orders registered in Naruto to mean 'get the Hell out'.

Naruto grabbed Shikamaru's arm and pulled him out of the room. "Sorry!" He dragged Shikamaru out of the room and slammed the door shut. "Why do they do that?! That's not something I wanna see!"

Shikamaru shrugged. "I just want them to stop and make some room on the bed so that I can sleep. Frankly, I don't care what they do as long as it isn't done in front of me and doesn't involve me in any way."

They waited ten minutes.

"Do you think they're done now?"

"I'll check." Shikamaru opened the door. Crystal had Sasuke pinned to the bed and was kissing up a storm. Shikamaru closed the door. "Nope, not done yet."

Naruto banged his head on his knees. "They'll be in there all night!"

"What have you got to complain about? You don't sleep here. I do."

Naruto lifted his head. "Hey, you're right. I _don't_ have to stay here. I can go home to my own bed. Thanks for the tip." Naruto got to his feet and left.

Shikamaru slouched in defeat. "Troublesome…" He slumped against the wall and sat down. With any luck, he'd fall asleep right there.


	24. Chapter 24 Weird

Chapter 24: Weird

No one had seen Neji for the past two days. The group was beginning to worry. The last time anyone had seen him was when he was limping back home after Shikamaru bit him. Shikamaru insisted that nothing was wrong and that he knew what he was doing, but Naruto couldn't help but worry. Gai and the rest of the team had gone out to search for him. Despite what Tenten insisted upon, no one thought to check his house. That was the first stop on Naruto's agenda.

He hurried to Neji's house and knocked on the door. No answer. He knocked again. Still no answer. He looked at his watch. It was an hour 'til dusk. Maybe he could get Sasuke's help once he woke up. He peered in through a window. It was dark and gloomy. There were no signs of life. Maybe Neji wasn't home. Maybe he went out for training and didn't tell anyone. No, that wasn't like him. Surely he'd tell someone if he were going to disappear for two days straight. Maybe he was in trouble. Giving one final knock, Naruto gave up and left.

As he made his way back home, he bumped into Shikamaru. "What are you doing here? I thought you'd still be asleep."

Shikamaru shrugged. "Sasuke's taking over the whole bed and keeps kicking me off whenever I get too close to Crystal. The guy's really possessive."

"Why don't you go home?"

"You know why. My parents can't find out about my… condition. Tsunade said that she took care of it, but…"

"Oh, yeah, I forgot. Where's Gai's team?"

"Still looking for Neji. Have you found him yet?"

"I was just at his house, but no one answered. It's dark in there. I don't think anyone's home."

"Did you go in?"

"… no."

There came a crash from behind and the two looked up. Several yards away was none other than Neji. They young ninja was turning over trash cans and scrounging through their contents. Like a starving dog, he dug through the trash cans head-first, standing on tip-toes to reach the shallow part of the can.

"That's… not normal."

"What do you think he's doing? He loose his keys or something?"

"I don't think so. He's too diplomatic to be digging through trash like that." Shikamaru put a finger to his chin thinking. "Well, he's doing something, I can tell you that."

"I'm gonna go talk to him. Ask him myself," Naruto said walking forward. He stood a few feet from where Neji was digging and cleared his throat. "Ahem, hi, Neji. How's it going?"

Neji picked himself out of the trash can and looked up at Naruto.

"Listen. So me and Shikamaru were wondering what you're doing digging through trash like this?"

Neji just stared at him.

"What's the matter?"

Shikamaru suddenly got a chill. He sniffed the air. Danger. There was something in the air that sent the message of danger to him. Something was very wrong.

With Neji.

"Naruto! Get away from there!"

"Why?"

"Something just feels off to me. I think there's a problem with Neji. Get out of there!"

"But…" Naruto turned back. Neji was still staring at him. "Neji?"

At the sound of his name, Neji growled and crouched low to the ground. In a second, he threw himself forward and into Naruto. The impact sent Naruto flying several yards through the air and landing with a loud thud in the street. Naruto howled in pain, but found that he could not get up. His back as in tremendous pain.

Chest heaving, Neji stood there snarling and staring hungrily at Naruto. Long white fangs began to grow and Neji's eyes flashed an intense red.

Oh, no… Don't tell me he's…

He was. Vampire Neji dashed forward hunched low to the ground, mouth agape. He was going to tear him limb from limb!

Ten feet away, Shikamaru intervened. He threw himself in front of Neji, blocking him from Naruto and pushing him back.

"Neji!" he shouted. "What are you doing?!"

Instead of a verbal response like he would have preferred, Neji snarled and bounded forward. Grabbing Shikamaru's arms, Neji threw him through the air and onto a rooftop. With the obstacle aside, Neji advanced on Naruto. Shikamaru flew down and grabbed Neji from behind and pulled him back.

"Neji, what's gotten into you? We're your friends! Don't you recognize us?"

He fought back, twisting and turning this way and that. He wanted Shikamaru off. Reaching up behind his head, he grabbed Shikamaru's and flipped him over his back. He retaliated by trying to trip Neji. He grabbed hold of his legs and pulled. Neji came crashing down, but managed to kick his legs free and take a swing at Shikamaru's face.

As the vampires fought, Naruto fought to stand, but couldn't. Neji must have hit him harder than he had thought. He laid there helplessly on his back praying for a miracle.

Back on their feet, the two continued their brawl, circling each other for a moment then leaping forward again. Neji punched Shikamaru right in the gut and sent him flying end-over-end into a building and through the wall. Shikamaru slumped down upon the wreckage, groaning in pain. He could no longer move. That hit must've cracked all of his ribs, if not broken them.

Neji turned back to his true prey. He crawled over to Naruto, a twisted smile on his face.

"Stop it!" Naruto shouted. "What's wrong with you?! Neji!" It was no use. He wouldn't listen. With Shikamaru down and unable to move himself, there was only one thing to do: scream. "HELP! Somebody help me! Sasuke! Crystal! Anybody! Help, please!"

Neji brought himself in for the kill. Naruto shut his eyes and turned away in anticipation of the pain.

But it never came.

Instead, he heard a loud thump and a screech of pain. Cracking an eye open, Naruto saw Neji lying on the ground and a raven-haired boy standing over him, protectively.

"Sasuke!"

"What have you gotten yourself into this time, loser?"

Ironing the intended insult, Naruto answered, "I can't move! Neji just attacked us."

"'Us'?"

"Shikamaru and me."

Sasuke nodded. Neji was already on his feet looking vengeful. Neji dove at Sasuke, who twisted out of the way, reached up and threw him aside with little effort. Neji landed on all fours and rushed at Sasuke again. Wasting no time, Sasuke slammed a leg right into Neji's side and sent him flying across the street and into the wall of a book store. The late-going patrons fled the store screaming and panicking. Neji crawled out of the debris showing his teeth and growling at Sasuke.

Sasuke stood his ground. This angered Neji. He opened his mouth and screeched. It was the most ungodly thing Naruto had ever heard. It was the sound of a banshee at its fullest. It sent chills down his spine, but Sasuke seemed unfazed. He stared Neji down in silence.

Neji bent down on all fours and bounded forward. Sasuke crouched down and the two simultaneously leapt into each other's arms and proceeded to scratch each other's faces. Naruto could barely see a thing from where he lay flat on his back. A part of him didn't want to look. He knew what was happening.

The two slashed and punched each other and rolled around in the dirt, fighting for dominance. Neji's mouth opened and he leaned forward toward Sasuke's neck.

"Get… off… of… ME!" Sasuke kicked Neji in the gut and hurled him through the air. Neji quickly recovered and was after him again. Claws extended from both their hands and they tore down the length of the street toward each other. They met in the center and punched the other in the face. They matched moves perfectly. Sasuke gained the upper hand when he delivered a swift kick to Neji's face.

This was nothing. Both vampires could take more; a lot more.

They took their fight further away from Naruto and the other villagers. They rolled in the grass and fought on rooftops. Neji slammed Sasuke into a bench causing it to shatter upon impact. Sasuke then swung Neji around by his hair and into the ground. Neji retaliated with a kick to the ribs and Sasuke was hurled into a tree a block away.

His eyes glowed even brighter and Sasuke went into a frenzy. He jumped down from the tree and wrapped his arms around its trunk. He ripped the tree out from its roots and used it like a bat to swing at Neji. The tree came crashing down on Neji, crushing him beneath its branches. He clawed his way out and ran down its length toward Sasuke roaring with fury. Sasuke lifted the tree and brought it down on Neji for a second time.

In the meantime, Naruto was still fighting to get up. His back wasn't broken was it? Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a couple Jonin rushing to the scene.

"What happened?"

"What's going on?"

Thinking on his feet (so to speak) Naruto gave a wave of his hand. "Oh, nothing; nothing at all! What would give you that idea?"

"The people running and screaming."

"Oh, that. Well, Neji and Sasuke got into a little spat is all. Nothing to worry about."

Another loud crash rang out and the ninja looked up to see a second tree being ripped out by its roots and thrown through the air toward Neji who punched it in two and kept going toward Sasuke.

"Just 'a little spat' huh?" the ninja scoffed.

"I think they're holding back," Naruto muttered.

"I've never seen ninja do that before! Was that a Jutsu?"

"I'm not sure. It could be."

"Could one of you help me up?"

"We've gotta stop this before they destroy the village!"

"Right behind you."

The two turned their backs to Naruto and started to make hands signs.

"Wait! You shouldn't do that!"

Too late. A burst of energy lurched forward toward the fighting ninja. Sasuke looked up. Something big was heading his way. Hovering in midair, Sasuke turned and raised his hand.

"Don't get in my way."

He brought his hand down, karate chopping the energy attack straight down the middle. The ninja gaped at him. No one had ever done that before. Uchiha or not, that was unreal! The ninja tried again, but it was too late. In a second, Sasuke was in front of them holding their hands in his. Eyes aglow, he bent their wrists back. The ninjas howl in pain and were brought to their knees. He was too strong. Sasuke growled at them.

"Do not interfere." His fangs showed and moved in.

"Sasuke, don't!"

He blinked and his eyes returned to normal. He looked around for the source of the call. It was Naruto. His outburst brought him back to his senses. He was attacking his fellow ninja in a blind fury, wasn't he? Sasuke released them and backed away.

"S… sorry." He looked back up. Neji was at it again. He tore through the streets after Sasuke to continue their fight. Sasuke jumped up and kicked Neji with enough force to send him over the rooftops again. "I'll be back in a minute." With that, he rushed off.

"Isn't anyone gonna help me?!" Naruto demanded.

"Naruto?"

He looked up and saw long pale legs standing over him.

Sasuke punched again. Neji ducked and tackled Sasuke to the ground. The two rolled over each other for a while before splitting up and crouching on all fours at face each other again. This fight was going on forever. Neji was out of control. For some reason, he wouldn't stop fighting. No doubt about it, though; he was definitely a vampire.

Neji charged. Sasuke charged, too. There was a loud crack as the two impacted. Locking hands, the two decided on a pushing match. They pushed against the other's hands trying to knock the other down or push him back. They dug their heels into the earth to steady themselves and pushed harder. At the last second, Neji pulled. Sasuke went lurching forward and Neji opened his mouth. Rather than be bitten, Sasuke head-butted Neji and pulled him in.

Screeching like Tasmanian devils, they bit and scratched each other, red eyes shining in the dark. They wrestled, they rolled, their fight never-ending. Neither one wanted to submit, so it went on even though they were both running out of energy. At last they broke away from each other and knelt to the ground, panting.

Neji looked like a wolf just learning to hunt. From the way he panted to the way he sat on all fours like a dog. He looked primitive. What kind of vampire was he? And how did he receive the cruse?

Neji growled deep in his throat at Sasuke. He wasn't ready to give up. He just needed a quick rest.

"That is enough!"

The two looked up. Crystal stood by the side of the road along side of Shikamaru who was propping up Naruto in his arms.

"Crystal?" Sasuke didn't know what to say.

Vampire Neji looked up at her thoroughly annoyed for having disturbed their fight. He showed his teeth growling at her. Sasuke looked outraged that his beloved was being harassed by this beast. But Crystal dismissed it.

"Neji," she called.

He eyed her curiously for a moment. He seemed to recognize his name.

"Neji?"

A snarl and a hiss was all she got this time. He crouched on all fours and backed away slowly eyeing her warily. She knelt down in the grass and beckoned him forward. He didn't move from that spot. She called to him again and he just stared at her. It seemed that he didn't know how to talk, or how to comprehend words. With that in mind, Crystal tried using various gestures to try and convey her message.

Neji watched her inquisitively, cocking his head to the side. Curious, he moved slowly towards her keeping low to the ground. She reached her hand out towards him and he abruptly stopped and growled at her.

The group watched and waited in silence.

Finally becoming curious with her again, he started to crawl back. Ever so slowly, he inched his way up to her. He sniffed her hand, obviously catching Crystal's scent. After much pushing, prodding and sniffing Neji decided that the female wasn't food or an enemy and sat back.

"Good," Crystal said with a smile.

Neji tilted his head. He didn't seem to understand that word's meaning.

"Neji," she pointed to his chest.

Neji followed her finger and lifted his head back up. Apparently he understood his own name. It's a start. She patted him on the head and Neji's eyes took on another curious look. He nudged her hand again, silently asking for another helping. She patted his head again and Neji smiled back. Without waiting for an invitation, Neji crawled into her lap and sat down.

Sasuke's eye twitched.

Crystal looked around. "Anyone know how this happened?"

"How what happened?"

She pointed to Neji. "Why is he a vampire?"

"Don't ask me," Naruto said. "Shikamaru was the last one who bit him.

"You what?"

"I was hungry! Besides, he seemed fine at the time."

"Does this look fine to you?!"

"Ok, granted he's a little strange, but what makes you think I did it?"

"You bit him!"

"I bit lots of people! Why'd it happen this time? I don't even know how to convert anyone."

Naruto recalled that night. "Uh, Shikamaru? By any chance when you were sucking his blood did you remember to take out your fangs when you bit him to talk to me?"

"… Oops…"

"You idiot!"

"How was I supposed to know?!"

"Still that doesn't explain why he's like this. I wasn't like this when I transformed, so why's he so primitive?"

Crystal stroked Neji's hair to keep him calm. "A couple of reasons come to mind. One, Shikamaru may not have injected enough venom into him to do a complete transformation. Two, it's just a side effect that'll wear off. Or a third reason could be that Shikamaru wasn't a full vampire when he got bitten."

"How could that be? You said it only took a week. I was in the hospital for about four days, then we left for three. That's a week. Plus the time while I was unconscious makes it over a week."

"Yes, but we count the transformation cycle as the time after you awaken from your coma. In your case, you had about an hour or two until it was completed."

"Oh."

"So what are we going to do with him?"

Neji looked up feeling everyone's gaze upon him.

"We'll train him. He knows what he needs by instinct; we just have to show him… everything else. Should be too hard."

~*~*~

After Crystal had erased the two ninjas' memories, they took Neji back to Sasuke's house. Crystal and the boys would help her train Neji and hopefully by the end of the week everything would be back to normal. It turned out to be a harder job than they had bargained for.

Naruto waited for them at the park the following cloudy day. They were an hour late. He kicked a stone at his foot and continued his long wait. It seemed like that was all he was doing nowadays. When he looked up again, he saw them. He hurried over to Sasuke and Shikamaru.

"How's he doing?"

They looked at each other and said at once, "Stupid."

"That bad, huh?"

"I always knew that Neji wasn't right in the head, but I had no idea he was a complete dumbass," Sasuke said.

Naruto laughed at the thought.

"You won't be laughing if you went through what we had to last night, Naruto," Shikamaru said coolly. "It was painful."

"That idiot doesn't know anything! He makes you look smart, Naruto."

"Hey!"

Sasuke ignored him. "I swear he's like a puppy. A really stupid puppy!"

"He's not that bad." Crystal came walking up to them. Neji followed at her heels looking unusually wide-eyed. "He's just…"

"Stupid."

"Not stupid. He's… he's um…"

"An idiot."

"A dumbass."

"No, he's just a little slow. He has to learn things over again, that's all."

"Uh-huh. Stupid."

She groaned.

Neji looked around curiously. He spotted a squirrel by a tree and followed after it. When the squirrel scampered up the tree, Neji contented himself by watching from below. That's when a cat came into view. The cat sat in the grass and licked its paws. Neji sat and mimicked its movements. The cat got up and walked away; Neji followed after it on all fours.

"Neji!"

He looked up at the call of his name. Crystal beckoned him over. Neji, still on all fours, hurried over.

"That was a cat," she explained.

"Eh?" he grunted. He didn't seem to understand.

"Cat," she pointed after the feline.

"C- ca…t?" She nodded, encouraging him to go on. "Ca-at. Cat."

She nodded and clapped her hands. "Very good!"

Pleased by her reaction and tone of voice, Neji allowed himself to smile.

"What'd I tell you? Stupid."

"He's learning," Crystal protested.

"Yeah, slowly," said Shikamaru.

Naruto glanced up. He spotted Lee and Tenten coming down the street toward them. "Uh, should we re-introduce Neji to his squad?"

The vampires exchanged looks. "I guess it's ok."

Naruto flagged them down. Crystal pulled Neji to his feet as the two hurried over. Neji hid shyly behind Crystal unsure of what to make of the new strangers.

"What's up?"

"What is going on, Naruto?"

Naruto leaned forward and whispered something into their ears.

"What?! Brain-damage?"

"Yeah, Neji isn't doing so well. He might not remember you guys. So don't be weirded out, ok?" He pulled Neji out and stood him in front of Lee. "Neji, this is Lee."

He looked at Naruto for clarification. Naruto nodded and pushed him forward. Neji bent forward and sniffed Lee. He took another step closer and sniffed his chest and face. The group grew worried when he stated sniffing Lee's neck.

"Lee..?" he murmured. He looked Lee in the face. "Lee."

"Good, you got it!" Crystal praised.

Happy with his accomplishment, Neji repeated it again. "Lee."

Naruto nodded and led Neji over to the team's only female. "Neji, this is-"

"Tenten!" he chirped happily.

"Huh?!" The group stared at him in disbelief.

"Tenten!" he repeated and bounded forward. Before anyone could do anything, Neji had thrown himself into her arms and was nuzzling her cheek. "Tenten, Tenten, Tenten!"

Lee turned his teary eyes to the others. "Why is it that he remembers her and not me?"

Their heads swiveled to Crystal. She thought for a minute. "Well, I do have an idea, but… it may be unlikely."

"What is it? What?"

"Well, it's possible that he might remember her because he has an emotional attachment to her."

"Well, duh! They're all on the same team. Of course he has an attachment to her!"

"No, Naruto. I mean that he likes her."

"They're on the same team. They have to like each other."

"No," she said now very annoyed. "I mean that he might have an attraction to her. He may be smitten."

"Smitten?" Naruto paused. "What does that mean?"

Neji squeezed Tenten tightly and then did something no one expected. He licked her face like a love-sick puppy.

"That."

Naruto and the others were flabbergasted. "Are you saying that..?"

"Yes." Crystal observed the two from a distance. "He might be mixed up right now, but there's no hiding true feelings. Even if he could keep them bottled up before, he can't now. I think… Neji might be in love with Tenten."


	25. Chapter 25 Lucky

**Chapter 25: Lucky **

When looking back, there was only one way Sasuke could describe his day: weird. The things that Crystal had told everyone were still buzzing around in his head. Neji in love with Tenten? It wasn't that farfetched, but it was almost too difficult to grasp. Neji always struck him as a cold, quiet guy who was too wrapped up in himself to even notice girls, much less Tenten. Then again, it was apparent that Neji was fond of her. But that could have just been because they were teammates.

Tenten was the most freaked out of course. It was a good thing that Naruto had told her that he had brain-damage otherwise she may have slugged him for licking her face like that. She had demanded to know what was going on, but no one was willing to tell her the truth. Lee was the only one on the team who knew about vampires aside from Neji. They had promised to keep it a secret which meant that they couldn't tell Tenten. Eventually of course, they'd have to.

Now later afternoon, all Sasuke wanted to do was sleep. He lumbered home and locked his door so no one could get in. He made for his bed. Crystal had disappeared along with Shikamaru leaving him with the ignorant Neji. Needless to say that Sasuke was feeling just a bit jealous.

_How come Shikamaru got to go with Crystal? How come they get to have alone time? _

Sasuke studied the wall deep in thought. There was nothing to worry about. Crystal had told him time and again that _he_ was her mate and that _she_ chose _him_ and no other. They had been together for so long and hadn't gone astray. Obviously they were in love.

On the other hand, she and Shikamaru were alone now. She said that it was 'private'. No, private didn't mean anything. Although, she did mention that she liked smart guys. You couldn't get any smarter than a guy with an IQ of over 200. No way! He wasn't even in her ranking! It was between him and Neji; Shikamaru was nowhere in there. And Neji…

"NO!" Sasuke grabbed fistfuls of hair and pulled screaming at the ceiling. "Why am I so worried?! Shikamaru's too lazy to go after girls and he's never shown an interest in her before! SO what if she finds brains to be sexy? She picked _me_, didn't she? She must think that I'm smart which makes me sexy, too! Neji's as dumb as a post so there's no way she'll go after him, even if he is my runner-up!"

"Eh?"

He looked down. Neji was standing next to him, mimicking his every move. He, too, had grabbed fistfuls of hair and had his head turned skyward, looking at Sasuke out of the corner of his eye. Sasuke sighed and lowered his arms. Neji did the same. That seemed to be how he learned: through watching and mimicking others. It was actually very annoying.

"Look," Sasuke said pointing a finger at Neji. "I'm tired and want to go to sleep before I go into a coma. I'm not here to babysit you, got it?"

Neji stared back at him stupidly. He didn't seem to get how annoyed Sasuke was.

"Do you understand me?"

Neji tilted his head to the side. "Eh?" That was how he communicated: grunting, since he didn't know how to speak very well.

Sasuke rubbed his head feeling a headache coming on. Neji copied him.

"And stop mimicking me!"

"Eh?"

"Don't do everything I do! Quit copying me!"

Despite Sasuke's vehement tone, Neji smiled up at him innocently. If he had a tail he'd be wagging it like the foolish puppy he was.

"I give up," Sasuke sighed through his teeth. "I just do. You wanna be an idiot, fine. Just do it quietly." Sasuke made his way over to the bed and pulled back the covers. In no time at all, Neji had trotted over and plopped down on the bad and watched Sasuke. "Uh-uh. Out!"

Neji just stared innocently at the finger pointed the other way. He couldn't decipher its meaning.

"Off my bed," Sasuke spelled out keeping his tone firm. Neji just sat there, unmoving. Giving a groan of frustration, Sasuke yanked the covers out from under Neji who tumbled to the floor. Sasuke climbed into bed and buried himself under the covers. In no time at all, he felt a pressure on the bed next to him. "No!"

Neji froze. "Eh?"

"No," Sasuke said firmly. He sat up and jabbed a finger in Neji's face. "No. Off the bed. Out."

Neji smiled at Sasuke's tone, not understanding how irritated the speaker was.

"For God's sake, Neji, don't you understand?"

Paying Sasuke no heed, Neji crawled into bed next to him and tried to lie down.

"No!" Sasuke said again and pushed Neji off. "You're not sleeping with me. The only one I wanna sleep with is Crystal, but she's not here so that means I sleep alone. Got it?"

He didn't.

"You. Are. Not. Sleeping. With. Me." Sasuke spelled out slowly. "You stay out of my bed. Go sleep on the floor, on the couch, in the corner, under the table, in a chair, in the tub- I don't care! Just not with me!"

Neji watched him curiously from his spot on the floor. Believing that Neji was beginning to get the message, Sasuke rolled over wrapping the covers around himself and closing his eyes. Once again, he felt Neji climbing back onto the bed. "You dumbass!" He threw a blind kick at Neji. A yelp of pain told him that he had made contact. Seconds later, Neji was at it again. He jumped onto the bed and tried to wriggle his way onto Sasuke's pillow.

Unable to ignoring it any longer, Sasuke sat up. "Get out!"

Misunderstanding Sasuke completely, Neji began to bounce up and down on the bed playfully. Sasuke smacked his forehead. "This isn't working…"

Trying to convey his message, Sasuke tried using hand gestures. He pointed to himself and the bed. Then he pointed to Neji and then to the floor. He just sat there smiling like a fool.

"You dimwitted little…" He pushed Neji off again and pointed to the floor. "Sleep here if you wanna sleep. I don't care what you do; just stay the Hell away from me!"

When Neji once again tried to follow Sasuke into bed, he got an idea. He couldn't do this alone. He needed help; a distraction. And he knew just the person for the job.

"Neji, get Naruto."

"Eh?"

"Naruto," Sasuke spoke to him like he would while training a dog. "Remember Naruto? Go get him."

"Nuh… Nar…ooh?"

"Naruto." Sasuke was sure to annunciate very carefully when pronouncing the blond's name.

"Na-ru-to?"

"Yes, that's right. Naruto."

"Naruto?" Neji's eyes suddenly lit up. "Naruto! Naruto!"

"Yeah, you remember him, right? Now go get him." Sasuke opened the door and shooed him out. "Thank God!" He slammed the door shut and flopped down on the bed. _I never thought I'd be rid of him_.

~*~*~

Outside, Neji was quite happily scanning the streets for Naruto. He was trilled to be given a mission, especially one that entailed looking for a friend. He looked both ways and then crossed the street.

"Naruto. Naruto. Naruto." He repeated his name over and over again every few minutes as if to remind himself of his task.

He looked everywhere. Literally everywhere. He checked in stores, in the streets, behind buildings, on rooftops, under benches, in trees, in trash cans, in baby strollers, under rocks, and anywhere else he could think of. He wasn't in the cookie jar. He wasn't under the rock. And he wasn't in the library, not even in between the pages of the books. No Naruto.

Neji wondered into the park still chanting his name every few minutes. "Naruto. Naruto. Naru- eh?"

He heard voices and followed them.

"What is he doing these days? I never get to see him anymore! I'm so lonely."

"Calm down, Sakura. I'm still here."

"I'm so lonely."

"I'm sure we'll see him again, but really Naruto, what is he doing? No one's told me anything."

_Naruto?_

"He's ok. He's just doing his own thing now."

"Why doesn't he show u for training anymore? He can't do it all by himself as awesome as he is!"

"Sakura, I'm awesome, too!"

Neji poked his head out from behind the tree. There were three people standing around. One with a mask was reading a book, another one with pink hair which he recognized as female and a third one with blond hair. That's who he was looking for.

"Sasuke's just doing what he thinks is- AHH!"

Naruto was unexpectedly tackled by Neji who had suddenly thrown himself into Naruto's arms. "Naruto!" Neji chirped happily.

"Neji what are you doing here?" Naruto asked trying to pry the ninja off of his body.

"Naruto!" He hugged him again.

"Were you looking for me or something?"

Neji beamed at him, proud of his success.

"Neji, why'd you do that?" Sakura asked.

Naruto didn't allow him to speak. "He's fine. It was nothing. Uh, coming!" He grabbed Neji's arm and pulled him away. "Neji you gotta be more careful. Sakura doesn't know about you or any of this vampire stuff. If you go in there wigging out and all she's gonna suspect something's up."

Neji just watched him.

"Why do I even bother? You probably don't understand a single word I'm saying anyway." He took Neji by the hand again and led him away. "Come on. I'm hungry."

Neji followed without a word. The sky was starting to clear up, but Naruto wasn't too concerned. Even though Neji was a vampire, he was still too early in the transformation process to be burned by the sun just yet. He'd be fine.

He took a seat at the ramen shop and ordered himself some lunch. Neji watched him. Halfway through his meal, Naruto looked to his left. Neji was still watching him with big curious eyes. Maybe it was a little rude to eat in front of him like this, but it wasn't like Neji could eat ramen. He called to the cook. "Do you have any raw meat back there?"

Confused at his request, the man returned with a slab of uncooked pork. He thanked the man and handed it to Neji.

He sniffed at it and gave it a taste. Realizing it was food, Neji took it in both hands and started munching down on the bloody meat.

"Good, isn't it?"

"Yum!" Neji smiled back at Naruto, cheeks stuffed with meat. He happily munched down on his meal while Naruto finished his.

When they finished, Naruto led Neji away from the shop and down the street. "So, have you learned to talk much?"

"Eh?"

"Guess not much, huh? At least you know my name. That's a start." _So Neji can't carry on a conversation… or speak more than a word at a time. Well, at least he could speak_. "So… Crystal thinks you like Tenten, huh?"

"Tenten!" he chirped. He started to look around to see if she was nearby.

"Neji, hey, Neji…" Naruto patted him on his shoulder. "She's not here. I doubt she'll be for a while after your little… uh… episode."

"Eh?"

"Well, that's the thing about girls. They're weird. Some don't like it when you lick their face. And some kinda get scared off when a certain somebody with mush for brains starts screaming her name and hugging her like crazy."

"Eh?"

Naruto scratched his head. "How do I put this?" He thought hard. "It's like I said before. Girls are weird. They're crazy and they make no sense at all. Some of them try to suck the life out of you by playing their mind games. They never mean what they say and they're super sensitive. If you say that they look good, they'll say you're lying. If you say they look bad, they'll kill you. Just keep lying to save your butt and if you upset her give her candy even if it'll make them fat. Girls love candy and complaining about their weight so this way you're killing two birds with one stone."

A pink blur whirled out of nowhere and punched Naruto in the face.

"OW!" Naruto held his swollen and bleeding head. "Sakura, wait! I didn't mean- OW!"

She smacked him again on her way down the street screaming "Naruto you big idiot!" and stomped off.

"Eh?" Neji eyed Naruto's lifeless body on the ground.

"On second thought," he moaned, still holding his head. "Never mind. Just stay away from girls. If you don't talk to them, you can't get hurt."

~*~*~

Neji and Naruto spent the day together. Neji seemed to be understanding things a lot better now. Maybe he'd even start speaking properly soon; one could only hope. Halfway down the street, Neji became distracted with something colorful. Naruto turned. "What's up?"

Neji pressed his face against the glass window of a flower shop. When he felt Naruto's presence next to him, he pointed. "Eh."

Naruto looked. "Those are flowers," he explained.

"Flowers?" Neji repeated slowly. He looked back into the shop with a longing look in his eyes.

"Girls like flowers," Naruto commented.

Neji looked up. "Eh?" he grunted as if to say 'really?'

"Yup." Naruto chuckled. Girls love flowers. You're supposed to give them to someone you like."

"Some… one?"

Naruto put a hand on his shoulder. He was beginning to learn. Neji was starting to understand. "Yeah. Is there a girl you like?"

His eyes lit up again. "Tenten!"

"Great! You're getting it." It looked like the more time they spent together and the more they talked, the faster Neji learned.

He turned back to the window. His smile started to fade as he looked at the flowers with a serious look on his face; thinking. "Give… Tenten… flowers?"

"Huh?" Naruto stared at him. Did he just say something other than a grunt? Did he just say three whole words?

He turned back to Naruto. Like an innocent child he asked, "Give Tenten flowers?"

He did! "Uh, yeah. Girls like flowers and Tenten's a girl, so I guess it'd make her happy."

"Happy?" He looked back at the flowers. "Happy."

Suddenly, Neji grabbed his arm and the next thing he knew, he was standing inside of the flower shop. Neji pointed excitedly to the flowers.

"Flowers!"

"Yes, I can see that. But what for?"

"Tenten!"

Naruto blinked at him. "You wanna give Tenten flowers?" He nodded his head up and down smiling. This was too good to be true! There was no way he was going to miss an opportunity like this! Naruto pulled out his frog wallet and fished around for the cash while Neji waited patiently. Naruto frowned. "Sorry, I spent all my money on lunch. I don't have enough for flowers."

Neji frowned, too. He sighed and took Naruto's hand, leading him out of the shop. Naruto did feel bad for him. After all, it wasn't everyday that Neji was willing to give Tenten flowers. That would've been fun.

They wondered to the training grounds were Lee and Tenten were still practicing. Naruto was about to shove Neji into her arms when he realized that he had disappeared. "Neji? Neji, where'd you go?"

He spotted him crouched down near a tree. Neji looked up when Naruto came into view. "Flowers?" He pointed to a snapdragon growing among the roots of the tree.

"Yeah, that's a flower. You can pick it if you want and give it to her. That kind you don't have to pay for."

A smile found its way onto Neji's face as he bent down. "Flower for Tenten!" he chirped. He dug his hands into the dirt around the flower and uprooted it in his hands. "This!" He showed Naruto the flower in his dirty hands.

"You didn't have to dig it up, you know. You could have just… oh, never mind."

Neji hurried over to Tenten and called her name. When she turned he shoved his hands forward. Tenten looked at the flower, roots still clinging to the dirt in Neji's hands. It looked like he was about to plant the thing. "What is this?"

"This for Tenten!" He handed her the flower. "Tenten happy?" He waited patiently for her answer with an expectant smile.

"Uh…" She looked from the flower back up to him and then down to the flower again. She didn't know what to say or do. Was this Neji or the brain-dead Neji?

Neji's face fell slightly. "This… no good?"

Seeing that disappointed look in his eyes made her heart melt. She just couldn't bring herself to see him as her teammate just then. He was being too cute. Smiling, she took the flower from his hands getting her clean fingers all dirty. "Thank you Neji. I like it."

His face lit up again. "Tenten happy?"

"Yes," she said giving as small nod.

Neji jumped for joy and hugged her around the middle. "Yay! Tenten happy! Happy!"

Balancing the flower in one hand, Tenten patted him on the back with the other, smiling. Neji nuzzled her in return.

Naruto shook his head. It really was a sweet moment. He felt happy for the guy, too. But he couldn't help but wonder if this was really Neji doing this. Was this of his own choosing or was it his messed-up brain that was making him do it? But the longer he watched them, the longer Naruto started to believe that it was really Neji's choosing. Underneath that stoic mask her wore was a gentler side of Neji Hyuga. So he _could_ be tender and sweet when he wanted to be. And this was that side coming out in full bloom.

~*~*~

Now that Crystal and Shikamaru had returned from private training, the group was back together the following day. Yes, day. It was late afternoon once again and the vampires were getting ready for bed. Neji had been full of energy all night long and now that it was the afternoon and his transformation was taking effect on his body, he was starting to wear down.

As Crystal and Sasuke made their way into bed, Neji followed in after them.

"No," Sasuke moaned. "Not again. Go over there."

"Bed." He pointed to the lager bed filled with pillows.

"I said no."

Neji frowned and marched over to the bed defiantly.

"Don't you listen? I said no and I mean it!"

Neji growled at him and Sasuke growled back. Crystal rolled her eyes at the two vampires nose-to-nose with each other and sighed. "He can sleep with us if he wants. Shikamaru does."

"Sometimes," the last ninja spoke.

"So you'll be on the couch this time?"

"Well," he looked at the lumpy sofa behind him. "It's a lot warmer with you guys."

"I'll give you a blanket," Sasuke said through his teeth. He obviously wanted to be alone in bed with her that night.

"Nah, he can stay."

"But Crystal!" Sasuke whined.

"We have plenty of room on the bed for all four."

He pouted.

They all got situated. Crystal climbed in first followed by Sasuke, then Shikamaru and finally Neji. Neji tried to worm his way in between Sasuke and Crystal, but the Uchiha wouldn't allow it. He pushed Neji away toward Shikamaru.

"Why are you giving him to me?"

"Why the Hell not?"

"I'm sleeping over here."

"Not yet, you're not. You're still talking."

"I'm sleep-talking, now get him away."

"Don't give me that. I had to put up with him all day. _You_ take him."

"From what I heard, you dumped him on Naruto."

"Shika- Ah! Neji get off my leg!"

"Eh?"

"Yeah, you! Off!"

Neji crawled in between Sasuke and Shikamaru and nestled down on the pillow belonging to Sasuke. This wouldn't do. He wanted more pillow space. He nudged Sasuke aside and tried to take up more of the pillow. Sasuke pushed back. Neji shoved him again. The two elbowed each other until Shikamaru intervened with a punch to both their skulls.

"Quiet!"

For a second it was silent as if Shikamaru's blow had knocked them both out. Then they started squirming again. Neji pulled on the pillow. Sasuke pulled back. The tug-of-war lasted until Sasuke kicked Neji off the bed and hugged the pillow close to his head.

Neji got up, eyes glowing in the dark room and jumped onto the bed. He bit down on the pillow and pulled with the strength of his jaw.

"No!" Sasuke pulled back with both hands. "It's mine!"

Neji continued to pull in the opposite direction with his teeth. He looked like a dog refusing to give the stick back to his master after a game of fetch. He was even growling, too.

"Let go, Neji!"

"Grrr!"

"It's mine!"

"GRrrrr!"

"Give it back!"

"GRRR!"

"I mean it!"

"GRRRR!!"

"Sasuke just give him the pillow!" That shout came from Crystal herself.

"But-"

"Now!"

Sasuke immediately released his grip on the pillow. Neji stuck out his tongue at Sasuke in triumph. Sasuke glared at him out of the corner of his eye and took his spot next to Crystal. She was a better pillow anyway. Crystal gave him a kiss and patted his head. Defiantly a better pillow.

Neji curled up into a ball at the foot of the bed and buried his face in his prize: the pillow.

Yup. This was a good day.

For Neji, at least…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

YAY! Thanks for reading, please review!

**^-^**


	26. Chapter 26 Forgotten

**Chapter 26: Forgotten**

As time went on, Neji got better and better about comprehending and speaking. For some reason, though, he was still drawn to Tenten and no one knew for sure why that was. Crystal still believed that it was because he had a secret crush on her, but the others were a little skeptical. But the evidence was there. One night when they were out feeding, they stopped by Tenten's house with the intention of sucking her blood. Neji bluntly refused and told them not to harm her, even if they needed blood. Crystal and the other boys promised not to attack her after that.

Because of his good progress, the group decided that it was time for him to be reintroduced to his old sensei. Tenten and Lee were put in charge of that. The next morning, they led Neji into the park and explained what was going to happen. Once Neji agreed, Lee went to get Gai. Within minutes, Neji was staring at a larger scaled version of Lee.

He cocked his head to the side. "Eh?" He looked at Tenten for reassurance. When she nodded her head, Neji stepped forward.

"Neji, this is Gai-sensei," Lee explained.

Neji sniffed his teacher. "Ga… i? Gai?" he annunciated carefully. He didn't seem to recognize him at all. "Gai-sensei?"

True to his character, Gai boomed loudly, "Neji! Lee told me about your mental condition. A true tragedy. Ah, well, this is what you get for not enjoying the springtime of your youth!"

Even though he thought he was being friendly, Gai only succeeded in frightening Neji away. He scampered back and hid behind Tenten.

"Eh? Neji, what's the matter?"

"I think you scared him."

"How am I scary?"

_Don't get me started_, Tenten thought. She turned to look over her shoulder at Neji. "It's ok. He's friendly. Go on."

Neji gave her a frightened look and stepped out from behind her back, inching his way closer to Gai.

Gai, deciding to be more subtle, lowered his volume and stuck his hand out. "Put her there!"

Confused by the meaning of 'put her there', Neji pulled Tenten forward and in front of Gai's outstretched hand.

"That's… not quite what I meant when I said put _her_ there…" Gai sweat dropped.

Tenten shook her head at Neji. "No, no, no. He means shake hands."

Neji looked down at his hands. "Eh?"

"Like this." Tenten reached forward and shook Gai's hand. "See? Now you try."

Neji nodded and stepped forward again and took Gai's hand in his and shook it up and down. Gai beamed at him. "Atta boy, Neji!"

Neji jumped back behind Tenten at the sudden loudness of his voice. He peered warily out from behind her back at Gai, keeping a firm grip on Tenten's shoulders.

"Gai! You scared him again!"

Gai rubbed the back of his head. "I, uh, didn't mean to…" Gai suddenly struck a pose. "I guess my manliness was too much for him. Fear not, Neji! I, the Mighty Gai, will help you in anyway possible to get you back to normal!" He gave Neji a thumbs-up and a sparkling smile.

Neji stared at Gai for a while, then turn to Tenten and said, "Tenten… Gai is weird."

Gai and Lee's jaws dropped at the comment while Tenten stifled her giggles. _He learns fast! He picked that up in no time_, Tenten thought.

~*~*~

"Then we is talking for long time, and sit on ground talking and laugh. Tenten happy, too! Tenten talk and laugh with us!" Neji bounced excitedly, explaining in his own way of what had happened. He wouldn't shut up and due to his broken speech, very little of it made any sense at all.

Sasuke plugged his ears with his fingers to keep from hearing him anymore than he needed to. Shikamaru was yawning from his spot on the couch, waiting for Crystal to get out of the bathroom. It was late afternoon and they were all getting ready for bed.

"Neji, I don't care. Ok? Stop talking!"

"But…" Neji pouted.

"I get it. You had a good day, but come on! How long are you going to keep talking?"

Neji frowned. "Sasuke rude!"

"You're damn right I am."

Crystal emerged from the bathroom and Shikamaru scurried in before anyone else could beat him to it. She patted Neji on the head. "Have fun today?"

He nodded vigorously. "Want do again!"

"You will, but now it's time for bed."

Neji frowned again. "No want! Want talk more!"

"Neji, bed."

"No!" he whined. He was acting like a little brat. He sat on the ground and refused to budge. "No want! Neji not bed!"

Sasuke was about to clobber Neji, but Crystal stopped him. "Fine, Neji. You can do whatever you want, but the rest of us are going to sleep."

Neji looked at her with an unbelieving expression. When Shikamaru came back, they all climbed into the same bed together. Crystal on the right, Sasuke in the middle and Shikamaru taking up the left side. Neji watched and waited. This was boring and he was starting to feel lonely. He noticed that his eyes, too, had gained a little weight. He trotted up to the foot of the bed and whined in his throat. No one moved. He whined again, a little louder this time.

"Shut up, Neji," Sasuke barked.

"Want be with Sasuke. Want go bed, too."

"You know how. You do it."

Neji scampered up the bed and crawled over to Sasuke. He pushed him aside and tried to lie beneath the covers. Sasuke shoved him aside. "Don't push me off the bed!"

"Neji cold."

Rolling his eyes, Sasuke tugged at the blankets covering Shikamaru and handed them to Neji. "Here."

Neji wrapped them around his body and nestled into a comfortable position between Sasuke and Shikamaru.

~*~*~

He didn't want to wake up. He wanted to stay in sweet nothingness just a little while longer. He was having such a nice sleep. Neji rubbed his face against the soft pillows and attempted to fall back asleep. There was a nice rhythmic thumping by his ear and he hoped that the metronome would help lull him to sleep again. He felt very warm and comfortable there. It would only be a matter of seconds before he was out again. He nuzzled the soft pillows again.

Something was off. The pillows were soft, but they just didn't feel right. He reached up with his free hand (the other being trapped under him) and groped the pillow under his face. It felt odd. It was so round and soft. He gave it a gentle squeeze. It was squishy, too. His fingers caressed a strap attached to a cup supporting the pillow.

Wait a minute…

Neji cracked an eye open, but everything was a dark blur. He blinked a few times to clear his foggy vision and looked down. His eyes widened. His nose was nestled between two bra cups and his left hand was still holding onto one of the breasts.

_Oh, my God_.

There came a scream from behind and the next thing he knew, he was being lifted off the bed by Sasuke's hands and thrown across the room. His head smashed into the opposite wall and onto the wooden floor behind an armchair.

"You horny little bastard!"Sasuke roared. "I'll kill you!"

Shikamaru woke with a start and Crystal sprang up in bed. "What is it? What's going on?"

"That pervert was groping you just now! He was being a nasty perverted son of a-"

"Was he awake when he was doing it?"

"I saw his eyes open!"

"Sasuke, he doesn't know any better. You didn't have to do that."

"What, throw him across the room?"

"Yeah."

Neji sat up holding his head in his hands. That hurt. It should have hurt a lot worse, though… Neji wondered why it didn't. Then again, he also wondered why he was in Sasuke's house sleeping in the same bed. He couldn't remember.

"I'll rip him to shreds!" Sasuke leapt off the bed and stormed over to Neji.

He quickly stood up and took his fighting stance. _Byakugan! _It didn't work. He tried again. Still nothing. What was going on? Why couldn't he do it? That talent always came so naturally to him so why freeze up now? Neji side-stepped as Sasuke's fist came at his face, and with a nimble pounce, landed a kick at his head. Sasuke recovered and tried to punch him again.

"Knock it off!" Crystal shouted and the two froze.

"But he-"

"Look, I don't know what happened, ok? I didn't mean it!"

"He's just…" Sasuke blinked. "Did you just say something?"

"Of course I did. That's a way of communication. What's the matter with you?"

Crystal sauntered over to Neji and threw her arms around him. "This is wonderful! See? I told you he'd be fine once his transformation was over."

"You said you _hoped_," Shikamaru reminded her.

"Whatever, same thing."

Neji pried her hands off his neck and pushed her away. "What is going on?"

"You don't remember anything?"

"Well…" Neji thought. "I don't remember how I got here. The last thing I remember is Shikamaru biting me and feeling really sick afterwards."

"There are only so many times I can say I'm sorry and still mean it," Shikamaru said from the bed.

Neji blinked. "So what's going on around here?"

"I'm getting tired of explaining this," Crystal moaned. "Sit down."

~*~*~

"I really did all that?!"

"Yeah, you were dumb as a post! It was great!"

Neji couldn't believe his ears. He did all that embarrassing stuff? Maybe it was a good thing he didn't remember it. "What else did I do?"

"Oh, you grunted a lot since you couldn't speak. And you, uh… Oh! And you kissed Tenten."

"I WHAT?!"

"Naruto, don't make stuff up! He did not!"

"Yeah he did, in a dog way."

"Licking isn't kissing."

"It is if you're a dog."

"He's not a dog!"

"Fine, be that way." Naruto looked back at Neji. "So maybe it wasn't a _kiss_ kiss, but you did give her flowers and you hugged her a lot."

"I did?"

"Yeah, don't you remember anything?"

"Not really, no." Neji looked at the ground. "What else did I do to her?"

"You were very clingy. You never wanted to leave her side. But according to Sasuke, Shikamaru was the same way with Crystal."

"I was?"

Naruto, Sasuke and Crystal nodded. Shikamaru turned away.

"Besides licking, hugging, hanging out with her and giving her flowers, you didn't really do anything too embarrassing," Naruto said. "That I know of."

"You really don't remember anything from your transformation period?" Sasuke asked.

He shook his head.

Crystal smiled. "Looking back, I think you two are very similar."

"Who?"

"Sasuke and Neji. You both are a lot alike."

"No, we're not!" they said in unison. They looked at each other and turned away.

"See? Maybe that's why you two don't get along very well."

Naruto looked at his watch. "You know, this is getting to be a real pain."

"What is?"

"Staying up all night with you guys."

"You don't have to stay up all night with us, you know."

"But this is the only time we can see each other. You sleep during the day and can't go into sunlight. It's a pain! We're on two different schedules."

"I accepted it."

"Yeah, when we told Neji that he was a vampire, he didn't freak out at all. He was like 'oh, alright' and we moved on."

Neji shrugged. "There's no point in freaking out. It's not going to change anything," he said coolly. "Besides, from what I've seen, vampires are very strong. This may be an improvement."

"Personally, I liked you better as an idiot," Sasuke muttered under his breath.

After a while, Crystal decided to go off on her own to find 'food' leaving the boys alone. They sat on a rooftop and looked out over the village. Sasuke put a violin under his chin and started to play a tune. Naruto closed his eyes and listened. It was very beautiful. Sasuke had learned so much in such a short amount of time.

"What's that song called?" he asked softly.

"Prelude," Sasuke answered.

"It's nice."

"Crystal likes it, too."

"I bet she does." Naruto rested his head in the folds of his arm. "You're good."

"… Thanks."

He continued to play and Naruto continued to listen. It was very beautiful. Naruto could feel the music soothing him and started to relax. He could almost see the music on the inside of his eyelids. He made himself comfortable on the roof next to Shikamaru.

The lazy vampire ninja watched Sasuke as he played. Sasuke was staring out over the rooftops of the village, unfocused. "What are you thinking about?"

"Hmm?" Sasuke tore his eyes away for just a moment to look at the boy on his right.

"I know that look. You're thinking about something. Out with it."

Sasuke played for a little while longer before he answered. "Just thinking about stuff."

"What kind of stuff?"

"Nothing. Forget about it."

"But I want to know."

With a sigh, Sasuke answered. "About what life was like before becoming a vampire. I kind of miss it. I miss being with everyone. Naruto told me that Sakura is still worried about me and Kakashi wants to know what's up."

"I didn't know you cared."

"I don't." Sasuke's face suddenly frowned. "I just… I just think that maybe…" He lowered the violin. "Maybe I miss them, too, a little. I mean, I told Naruto but I didn't tell anyone else on my team. Your whole team knows, Shikamaru, besides your sensei."

"Yeah…" Shikamaru smiled slightly and looked up at the night sky. "I kinda miss Asuma-sensei. I miss our Shogi games. I miss a lot of stuff I used to do, but…" He fell onto his back. "Ah, it's too troublesome to think about."

Sasuke lifted the violin back onto his shoulder and played another song.

Meanwhile, Neji had slipped away from the group and was now floating down the street toward a familiar house. At least he remembered being taught how to fly. He flew up to the window and peeked inside. It was dark, but vampires could see very clearly in these conditions. He tapped on the window. Within a minute, someone moved across the room and over to the window. Tenten opened it and looked out, her signature buns taken out allowing her long brown hair to fall free.

"Neji? What are you doing here?" She looked over her shoulder. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Tenten, I have to tell you something."

She blinked. "You're brain-damage is gone?"

"Wha-? N- never mind. Tenten, please listen to me. It's important."

Hearing the seriousness in his voice, Tenten nodded and listened closely.

Neji rubbed his hands as he sat on the ledge. "Um… You remember what it was like these past few days with me?" She nodded. "Well, I don't. Not a very clear image, anyway. So I don't know if Lee or Naruto told you anything."

"All they told me was that you were acting weird because you had brain-damage. Why?"

"Because I have to tell you something, but I'm not sure how to put it."

"Whatever it is, please don't tell me that you're going to disappear again for another two or three days. Lee, Gai and I were worried sick about you. I don't want that to happen again. You're an important part of this team, too, you know."

Neji nodded. "That's why it's so hard." He faced her. "Tenten, the reason why I disappeared for a few days was because I… was going through some changes."

"I've heard that one before."

"No, no, it's…" He looked away and then back at her. "I'm not the person I used to be."

"I hear that all the time in movies."

"Tenten, no. I'm not…" He lowered his voice. "I'm not… human anymore."

Tenten was taken aback. "What? What's that mean?"

"Long story short: Shikamaru and Sasuke are vampires and Shikamaru bit me about a week ago and turned me into a vampire." When he saw Tenten shaking her head, he decided to show her. "I mean it. Look." He jumped off of the ledge and hovered above the ground in front to the two-story building. "See? Told you."

Tenten's jaw dropped and she backed away from the window. "This… this isn't some kind of Jutsu, is it? It's not a trick?"

"No, no trick," Neji guaranteed, flying closer to the window. "Lee and I found out about vampires while on a mission. I was bitten by accident and turned into one."

"Then that whole story about you having brain-damage was just a side-effect?"

He shrugged. "I don't know what that was about, but I'm fine now. I wasn't sure how to tell you because it's big news. I thought you could handle it, but I wasn't sure how you'd take knowing that I'm different. You know, a vampire…"

Tenten approached the window ledge. "Well, I'm not screaming or running away. Besides, you don't seem all that different."

Neji looked up. "Oh?"

"Yeah. And I'm glad you told me. I'll keep it a secret if you want me to. Don't worry."

Neji didn't know what to say. A sound from behind made him jump. The others were looking for him. Maybe they found a 'donor'. He quickly flew close to her and whispered, "I have to go now. I can't go into light anymore, but I can be outside on cloudy days and I'm always out here at night. Talk to Lee. He knows a little about it."

She nodded.

Neji hesitated. Then he added, "By the way, thanks for not hitting me when I licked you. Sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it."

Neji gave her a small wave and flew back down to the street. He jumped when he saw Shikamaru standing against a building with a smug grin on his face.

"So here you are. Come on. Naruto fell asleep and Crystal found someone to feed off of."

"Yeah, alright."

They walked back toward the others. Suddenly, Shikamaru whispered something.

"I thought you forgot everything."

Neji blushed and looked back. "Well… not everything."


	27. Chapter 27 Food

**Chapter 27: Food**

Everyone had finally adjusted to their new way of life. They had all gotten used to sleeping together and what it meant to be a vampire. Sasuke and Crystal of course slept next to each other, but sometimes another vampire would manage to wiggle his way in-between them or on top of them. This was strange for Neji, considering that he was usually not only a light sleeper, but also a very still sleeper. When he slept, he didn't move, lying flat on his back with his arms usually folded. It was very strange for him to wake up lying sideways across the other vampires or squeezed between Crystal and Sasuke.

This evening, however, Shikamaru was the one lying splayed across the male vampires and facing Crystal, holding her warm hand in his. Good thing he managed to remove himself before Sasuke woke up or there'd be Hell to pay. Sasuke immediately started kissing Crystal upon waking up and Crystal didn't fight it. Neji groped for the covers, missing the warmth, but grabbed Shikamaru's shirt by mistake. Eyes still closed, he pulled Shikamaru over his body and tried to go back to sleep, but when a heavy mass landed on him instead of soft blankets, he decided against it and got up.

They had promised Naruto a fun night since he had been complaining so much about the time difference and not doing anything fun. They had broken into another restaurant and searched the area for 'entertainers' and Sasuke brought along a few instruments to play for the small party. While the others set everything up, Neji slipped away to get another person.

Crystal stood in the street a block away and was singing her alluring song toward a couple building. Sasuke closed his eyes and hummed along to the song. Human or vampire, Crystal had an amazing voice that anyone could be lost to.

Within minutes, their entertainers had arrived. Naruto's face broke into a wicked smile when he saw them. "Ohh… So Kiba will be entertaining us with Shino tonight, huh?"

"Well, they are willing," Crystal said. "And Shikamaru didn't want me to force Choji to do anything."

"He's my friend. I'd rather not have him bark like a dog just to get laughed at."

"But you don't have a problem with us doing it to _them_?"

He blinked. "Eh, I don't know them that well. I don't care. Besides, I wanna see what we can make poker-face Shino do." An evil smile crept across his face at the thought.

The party began. Naruto shouted out anything and everything he wanted to see them do. Right now, Shino and Kiba were juggling and balancing glasses of water on their heads. Naruto jumped up and down howling with laughter. "This is awesome! Hey, any ideas, Sasuke?"

He wasn't listening. He was too busy kissing Crystal to notice. Rolling his eyes, Naruto called out to the entranced boys again. "Shino, do jumping-jacks!"

The door opened and in walked Neji and Tenten. The first thing she saw was an Aburame doing jumping-jack in the middle of the room. "I'm not gonna ask," she muttered.

"He's fine," Shikamaru explained. "He's just being manipulated a little."

Neji waved to another behind him and in came Lee.

"Now, wait a minute!" Sasuke protested from his seat next to Crystal. "What the Hell are you doing?"

"Why can't they join us? It's a party, isn't it?" Neji said. "Besides, we barely get to see each other nowadays, anyhow."

Sasuke was about to protest again when Crystal rubbed his chest lovingly. "Ah, do what you want." With that, he went back to kissing her.

Neji showed his team inside. They sat together in a booth and watched the show.

"Can you make them do anything you want?" Lee asked, pointing at Kiba and Shino.

Neji shrugged. "I don't know. I've never done it before."

"Yeah, but it has been done _to_ you," Naruto laughed.

"What?" Neji's expression was between shock and anger.

"Yup! At the last party we had like this. Oh, man, that was funny as Hell!"

"Oh, and a few other times, too," Crystal called.

Neji turned red. Now they tell him. Naruto went back to ordering the boys. "Kiba, act like a frog!"

He squatted down obediently and started croaking and hopping around the room. Tenten couldn't help but laugh this time. Lee banged his fist against the table. This was great!

Tenten's eyes lit up with an eerie twinkle. "They'll do _anything_ we tell them?"

"I guess. Why?"

"Cause I just had a really bad idea." She started laughing. "No, forget about it. It's too weird. Hahaha..!"

"No, come on, Tenten!" Naruto whined. "I wanna know! Please?"

"Well… No, no. It's a stupid idea. Forget it."

"Please, Tenten? It's your turn, anyway."

"Well…" She looked from the two ninja to the vampire at her side. "They have no idea what they're doing, right? And they won't remember any of this?"

Neji paused. Then he nodded. "They shouldn't."

"Good." She called out to the boys. "Kiba, Shino!" They stood at attention, waiting. "Do a yaoi act with each other!"

Everyone spun around to look at her in shock.

"What?"

"WHAT?!"

"Tenten?"

"Are you serious?"

"Heheh… Yeah. Sorry, but I had to."

"Cool!" Naruto bounced in his seat. He slowed to a stop and asked, "Wait… What's yaoi?"

Shikamaru smacked his head. Neji hung his head and shook it. Sasuke mouthed the word 'idiot' and Crystal tried not to laugh. "You'll see…"

Kiba and Shino turned to each other and hugged each other in a tight embrace. Kiba removed Shino's glasses and looked in his eyes. Shino ran his hands through Kiba's hair affectionately. He cupped Kiba's face in his hands tilting his head toward his face while Kiba wrapped his arms around Shino's body, showing no signs of letting go.

"Oh, Shino..!"

"Oh, Kiba..!"

"Oh, my God!" Naruto flung his hands over his eyes but continued to watch between the gaps of his fingers. It was so wrong, but he couldn't look away!

Tenten burst out laughing, apologizing to the others for having them suffer through this. But to her surprise, Lee and Shikamaru were rolling on the floor laughing their heads off and Crystal and Sasuke were laughing hysterically from their seat at the table. Even Neji had an amused smile on his face.

"You really had to, didn't you?" he asked with a soft chuckle.

"Yeah, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's funny." _Better them than me, anyway_…

~*~*~

A cloudy day allowed all the vampires time to spend with their teams before going into their afternoon slumber. Shikamaru spent the morning with his team at a restaurant while Sasuke and Neji joined their teams for training. As predicted, Sakura showered Sasuke with attention upon his arrival while Kakashi expressed his curiosity by asking where he had been for the past several days.

Gai's team went straight into training. Push-ups, sit-ups, hiking uphill, jogging and racing around the village; and that was just a warm-up! Gai was the only one on the team who wasn't aware of Neji's condition, so he didn't take into account Neji's super-human strength and speed. Gai decided to challenge Neji to an arm-wrestling contest for some unknown reason. Needless to say, Neji kicked his butt. His reward? Team Gai practice training!

Sasuke had a miserable time with his team. Crystal had left again for some unknown reason, leaving the boys all alone. Sasuke was in a state of mild depression, drawing circles in the dirt and sitting by himself under a shady tree.

"Looks like it's gonna rain tonight," Naruto commented, looking up at the dark clouds above. "You're gonna get wet tonight, buddy."

"Meh," Sasuke grunted.

"You don't want me to call you buddy?"

"Meh."

"Is this about Crystal?"

"Meeeeeeeehhhhhhh..!" he whined. It almost looked like he was going to cry. Almost.

Naruto sat down next to him under the tree. "Look, don't start crying in front of Sakura. She'll think I had something to do with it."

Sasuke turned and glared at him. "I'm _not_ crying!"

"Easy, easy! I was just saying. I'm sure she'll be back. She always does."

"But where could she be going without telling me? Where is this place? What's there?"

Naruto shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe she has a double life and is seeing her other boyfriend."

"EH?!" Naruto had never seen Sasuke's head move so fast.

"No, no! I was just kidding! Lighten up."

Sasuke punched Naruto's shoulder and turned away. "Not funny."

"Sheesh! Mr. Sensitive…"

Sakura rushed over toward the boys and shoved Naruto aside. "Hey, Sasuke! Um, I was wondering if you wanted to eat lunch together."

He blinked at her.

"See? I brought my bento. There's no way I'm going to finish all this food by myself. Want to help me out?"

He took one look at the human cuisine in disgust and turned away. "No thanks."

"Are you sure? I have plenty-"

"No thanks." His firm tone and angry eyes frightened her away. With a disappointed sigh, Sakura got up and stocked away in defeat.

"Hey, Sakura, if you want I could…" Naruto frowned realizing that she had already left. "Why does she like _you_ so much? What's so great about being you anyway? Why do all these girls like you? What do you have that I don't?"

Sasuke smirked. "Great hair?"

Naruto ran a hand through his spiky, blond mess. "Nah, that can't be it."

"Good taste?" Sasuke suggested eyeing Naruto's orange outfit.

"Maybe I just have to be EMO!"

"Emo? Me?"

"You could spot that from space!"

Sasuke just shook his head. "Maybe I'm just better than you at everything… including being hot and sexy." Sasuke started laughing when Naruto went into his no-I'm-not-rant, complete with flailing limbs.

~*~*~

Gai's squad was now working individually on the training ground. Tenten sharpened her weapons while Gai and Lee worked together _without_ working together. Basically, that just meant that they were doing the same thing at the same time in the same place, but were still doing things individually. Neji and Tenten still couldn't figure that one out.

Neji was working on his martial arts when he heard a yelp from behind.

"Yeouch!"

"Gai-sensei, are you alright?" Lee rushed over to his role model and mentor.

"Ah, don't worry, Lee. It's nothing to be concerned about." Gai held up his arm. "Just a scratch."

Lee went into hysterics. "Oh, Gai-sensei! Working through the pain like a true fighter and great man! Pushing yourself so hard! How inspiring!" His eyes filled with tears.

Neji's eyes were filling with something else: hunger. It was only a small cut, but tiny drops of blood were slowly making their way down Gai's arm. Neji licked his lips. It looked so good, and he was so hungry. Last night, after their party, Shino and Kiba were passed around to all the vampires for a drink. Neji didn't take part, however. He was trying to convince Tenten and Lee that he wasn't a monster; therefore, he couldn't drink the blood of their friends in front of them. Now he was beginning to think that it was a huge mistake. Going without blood for a whole day was tough enough, but a whole night, too? It just made him long for it even more.

The red liquid oozed down Gai's wrist, almost teasing him. Oh, how he wanted it. He craved for it. He needed that blood. Just a quick taste wouldn't hurt right?

"Uh… Gai-sensei?"

Their teacher looked up. "Yes?"

"I… I, uh… was wondering…" He gulped. "Could I please take a look at your arm?"

"Sure." Gai extended his arm out to the prodigy. "It's not very deep, though. Nothing to worry about."

Oh, yes there was. Gai had just given his bleeding arm over to a hungry vampire.

Neji took Gai's arm in both hands and examined it closely. He couldn't look away. It was almost overwhelming. He liked his lips again. Independent of his will, Neji's face grew closer to the small wound. His lips parted and wrapped them around his arms.

"N… Neji? What are you doing?" Gai tried to free his arm from Neji's grasp, but it was no use. Neji had a solid hold on him and wasn't letting go. Gai could feel Neji's tongue on his flesh as he lapped up the blood. But it was such as small gash, he couldn't get a good enough taste. He wasn't satisfied.

Gai wrenched his arm free from Neji at last and wiped the slobber off on his jumpsuit. "Neji, what's gotten into you?"

Neji looked up.

"Not to worry. No harm done. But really, Neji what was that all about? Why did you do that?"

Neji's eyes were fixed on Gai's arm. He _really_ wanted more. His hands were shaking. Everything started spinning.

His eyes flashed red.

He took one step, then another, inching his way closer to his sensei. "Gai…"

Oblivious to the danger, Gai leaned forward. "Yes?"

"I… I'm…" He swallowed. He couldn't fight his hunger anymore. "I'm so thirsty…"

"Here, let me get you some water." Gai turned his back on Neji. Wrong move.

Neji jumped onto his sensei's back and wrestled him to his knees. "I'm sorry, Gai… But I need this..!" With that, he turned Gai's head the other way and bit down on his jugular.

"Neji! Stop it!"

"Neji!"

He could hear their voices but he paid no heed. He drank deeply from Gai's neck. He had such a rich flavor…

"NEJI!"

He opened his eyes and realized what he was doing. He dropped Gai on the ground and scrambled backward into a tree. The others rushed to Gai's aid and turned him over while Neji waited.

"He just passed out," Tenten explained. "He's ok… sort of."

"What was that all about?" Lee asked Neji. "Why did you do that?"

"I couldn't help myself!" Neji wiped the blood off his chin before facing Tenten. "I didn't mean to. It's just that I haven't fed last night and…"

"Why didn't you?"

"I don't know! I just… don't know…" He avoided their eyes. Was that the bloodlust? Was that how he was to act if he went without blood for too long and saw it right in front of him like that? This was awful.

"Neji, if you have to drink blood, then do it."

"Lee's right, Neji. We understand that you have to drink blood to live. Warn us next time you get hungry, ok? We can help you."

Neji's eyes wondered from one to the other. So they understood and were willing to help… Suddenly, he felt a lot better. Giving a small nod, Neji muttered a 'thank you'.

~*~*~

Afternoon was setting in and so was vampire fatigue. Sasuke let out a yawn and looked at his watch. Time to go. He got to his feet and started back to his house. That is until he felt a hand on his shoulder followed by the laid-back voice of his sensei.

"Sasuke, I want a word with you."

Groaning, he turned. "Yeah?"

"What is going on with you? You haven't been showing up for training, and when you do, you seem exhausted. This wouldn't have anything to do with your new girlfriend would it?"

"No, of course not."

"I hope not. Personally, I feel that you're seeing too much of her."

_Not nearly enough, actually_…

"Maybe you should manage your time better. How about fewer dates, hmm?"

"Why?"

"Because there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. You should give something up…"

"Ok. I'll give up seeing her IF you give up reading your books."

Kakashi blinked. "Huh?"

"Give up your books."

Kakashi hid it behind his back. "Why should I?"

"There's such a thing as too much of a good thing."

"This is different."

Kakashi went on talking but Sasuke didn't hear half of it. His sensei's image kept sliding in and out of focus. He was getting very tired now. He looked wearily over at Naruto who kept pointing to his watch. Sasuke nodded and followed after Naruto.

"Did you hear what I said, Sasuke?"

"Huh? Uh, yeah I did, Kakashi-sensei. Sure, I'll do better. Bye."

Sakura looked worried. "Sasuke, are you not feeling well? Let me help."

"No, I'm fine," Sasuke muttered. "I want to be alone."

Despite claiming to desire solitude, Sasuke left with Naruto. Sakura couldn't believe her eyes. So Naruto could go but she couldn't? That made no sense! Keeping a safe distance, she followed after them.

Sasuke let out a much bigger yawn and rubbed his eyes. "You don't look so good," said Naruto.

"Mmm," Sasuke mumbled. He was too tired to speak. He took one wobbly step, then another. On the third one, his legs gave out. Naruto caught him in his arms and helped set him down on the ground.

"You ok?"

Sasuke shook his head. "No… 'm tired…"

"Here, this should tie you over until we get back to your house. I'm not carrying you the whole way." He took off his jacket and stuck out his arm. Without hesitation, Sasuke took it in both hands and sank his teeth into Naruto's flesh.

Sakura looked around. _Where are they? I know they came by this way_… She peered through the trees. She listened carefully. She could hear voices not too far away.

"Agh, it stings!"

"Sorry…"

"Haven't you had enough yet?"

"Almost."

"I hope so. I hate having your lips on me all the time."

"Hey, you're the one who offered."

Sakura's jaw dropped. _What?! 'Lips on me'? What are they doing?!_ Sakura moved closer. They were just behind the tree. Very, very carefully, she sneaked around.

"Sakura!" Kakashi called from a little ways away. "Where are you? You left your bag!"

_Oh, shoot, that's right! I've gotta get my bag!_ She turned around to retrieve her bag, but her curiosity was almost too much. What were those boys doing? She was torn. Get the bag or get the scoop? She started to leave.

"Come on, Sasuke. Enough already! Save some for somebody else."

"Sorry."

"Then stop already."

One quick peek wouldn't hurt. She peered around the tree and looked at her teammates. They had their backs to her so they didn't notice. From what it looked like, it appeared that Sasuke was… sucking on Naruto's arm? Why would he be doing that?

Naruto tugged his arm away. "Control yourself. I need some blood too, you know."

"Calm down. I saved you plenty. Thanks for the snack."

"Whatever. So why don't you get blood from the hospital instead of biting me?"

"Because people need that blood for transfusions; I can't take those. Besides, I don't know where they keep the blood bank."

"You can always ask."

"Yeah, but that blood is also cold. It's much better warm."

"Picky, picky, picky…"

"Have if you were in my place you'd understand."

"Hey, I'm the one helping you vampires out, you know. What do I get?"

"You just got it. I said 'thank you'. Now come on, I need to get home."

"Yeah, yeah."

Sakura slumped against the tree trunk. Did they just say…'vampire'?

~*~*~

He had to push their bodies aside just to get into bed, now he'd be lucky if he could get out of bed. Sasuke was trapped under the bodies of his fellow vampires on the bed. It was sunset and that meant that it was time to wake up and get dinner. Sasuke shoved Shikamaru off his back just to sit up. Shikamaru frowned and wriggled after Sasuke's body, chasing the warmth. Sasuke shook him awake and went to rouse Neji who was curled over his legs and cocooned in blankets. He almost looked like a cat from that position. After shaking Neji awake, the vampires left to find dinner.

Kakashi was patrolling the streets that night, which meant that he'd be their target. Sasuke was reluctant to go after his teacher at first but his hunger got the better of him. Three-on-one, those were good odds. They swooped in.

Sasuke was up first. He leapt down from his perch and lunged at Kakashi.

He turned. "Well, well, well. Fancy meeting you out here so late at night," he drawled. As laid-back as ever. Was he teasing him? Did he know what they were up to?

Sasuke stood erect. "Uh… Evening, Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi glanced up out of the corner of his eye. "What are you three doing out here so late at night?"

Damn! He saw them.

Neji and Shikamaru jumped down. They stood a few feet away from the Jonin and waited to make a move. It was taking too long and they were starving. Shikamaru moved first. He gave Kakashi a seductive wink and puffed out his chest, whispering lovingly, "Hey there, Kakashi-washi…"

"Allure only works on girls, Shikamaru."

His chest deflated and his face turned bright red. Shutting his eyes in embarrassment, he shrank away into the shadows. Sasuke couldn't help but give an amused smile. Now_ that_ was embarrassing.

Neji's turn. But what was he to do? He hadn't learned allure (not that it would work anyway) and he hadn't tried the eye-trick yet, either. How was he supposed to get Kakashi under control? He stepped forward. "Kakashi-sensei…"

"Yes?" Was he still unaware of what they were trying to do?

"I was hoping that you…" Something was off. Something didn't feel right to Neji. He sensed something. Danger…

"What?" Kakashi asked as if he had no idea what was going on.

That was the danger: Kakashi. He was planning on something, but what?

As Sasuke snuck up from behind, Neji got his answer. Sasuke moved closer to his sensei's back and as he got within striking distance, Kakashi pulled out a knife. The blade was pointed at Sasuke, coming within an inch of his throat. He froze in place.

"I thought something was up. Sakura told me that she was concerned about you, Sasuke and but I was reluctant to believe that you were going to be the one to pull a fast one on me."

"What are you talking about?" he asked, feigning complete innocence.

"Sakura told me that she followed you to make sure you were ok. When she caught up to you, she said that it looked like you had cut Naruto and started drinking his blood. She also told me that she thought that the term 'vampire' was used in your conversation."

_Damn that Sakura!_

The vampires looked at each other then back at Kakashi. Did he think that they were the enemy? Was he going to attack them? That would be a bad move. Attacking a vampire is a huge mistake. If Kakashi attacked them, it would send them all into a rage and they'd fight back. On top of that, they were all hungry. Kakashi was their food. Their prey…

A smirk spread across Sasuke's face and in a flash, was gone. Before Kakashi could blink, Sasuke had found his way around his sensei's body and got ready to bite. Kakashi whipped around. Sasuke flew straight up and out of reach. Neji lunged first followed by Shikamaru. Kakashi whirled about and the tip of the blade slashed into Neji's ribs. He looked down. A small gash had appeared on his chest and the blood poured forth, staining his jacket. He was… wounded. Neji's eyes flashed bright red and snarled at Kakashi.

The sight of blood excited the vampires. The three of them no longer recognized Kakashi as an elite ninja or as a sensei, but as food.


	28. Chapter 28 News

**Chapter 28: News **

They were starving. Kakashi had wounded one and had threatened the other. He was asking for it now. Instincts kicked in and the vampires charged. Kakashi dove out of the way of one and kicked the other aside. Tonight, these weren't students, but enemies. Kakashi wondered if the Hokage was aware of this and debated whether or not he should simply capture them and turn them over to her.

Sasuke lunged but was knocked aside. Seeking revenge, Neji pounced on Kakashi's back and tried to wrestle him to the ground. No such luck, Kakashi was a fighter alright. He wasn't about to go down at the hands of adolescent vampires. Shikamaru jumped up and tried to grab Kakashi from the front. That didn't work either. Kakashi rolled to the side and threw Neji off his back. Picking up a kunai, Kakashi darted down the street. No, he wasn't running away. He was trying to lure them towards the Hokage's building.

It wasn't going to work. The vampires were aware of his intentions and weren't going to let him escape so easily. Sasuke tried his new technique, hoping it wouldn't fail this time…

Neji and Shikamaru cut him off at the end of the street. Kakashi showed them his weapon. "Listen, I don't know what's going on, but I don't want to have to hurt you."

"Neither do we," said Shikamaru.

"We just want your blood. It doesn't hurt… much." Neji snaked forward, a gleam in his eye.

A bat flew overhead and landed on Kakashi's shoulder. With a crack, the bat vanished and in its place was Sasuke. Now that he had mastered that technique, it was even easier to sneak up on people. He held his sensei down while the others advanced. Kakashi somehow managed to throw them off and get to his feet. He turned and bolted down another street.

"After him!"

Kakashi hid behind another building and waited. He could believe that vampires really existed; and that one of his own students was one, too! He needed a plan. Good thing he was a natural when it came to thinking on your feet.

"Pardon, are you alright?"

Kakashi looked down. He knew this dark-haired girl.

"You seem to be having trouble. Can I help you?"

"Aren't you Sasuke's girlfriend?"

Crystal smiled. "Guilty as charged."

He knew what this meant. She must be a vampire, too. But he couldn't attack her, could he? Kakashi gripped his knife tightly in one hand. As she stepped closer, he revealed his Sharingan eye. She was unfazed.

A whoosh from behind caught Kakashi's attention. He spun around and saw two vampires watching him. One of them looked overjoyed. "Crystal!" Sasuke cried.

Before anyone could do anything, Crystal spoke in an authoritative tone. "Kakashi…" As he turned, both his eyes became fixed upon her glowing ones. He couldn't move. "Whenever you see me assume this pose…" She put a hand on her chest. "…you will recognize me as your princess, whom you love and cherish."

Kakashi nodded his head slowly up and down. Neji and Sasuke looked at each other. What was this about? Kakashi blinked and gave his head a small shake. His mind was a little foggy. He had just spaced out and couldn't remember what he had been doing.

"Kakashi."

He turned at his name and saw Crystal putting a hand to her chest. He was suddenly overcome by an overwhelming desire to obey and love her. He felt compelled to do as she commanded. He put a hand over his heart and gave a slow bow as if greeting royalty. "Yes, my dear princess?"

The boys looked at each other again. Shikamaru, who had bee sitting on a rooftop, looked down at the scene. "Oh, this is gonna be good."

"Kakashi, I desire your neck."

He knelt to the ground and said, "Anything for you, your Highness." He rolled up the bottom of his mask, exposing his flesh.

Crystal bent down and took the first drink. When she had finished, she looked at the boys. "You guys are getting clumsy."

"It's not my fault! He made me mad!"

"Yeah, he started it!"

She rolled her eyes and allowed them to drink next.

~*~*~

Kiba and Shino were training with the girls in silence. They had both had very strange dreams the other night and didn't want to talk about it to anyone. Kiba shuddered remembering his dream involving a strip club and him kissing Shino. That was a nightmare; and Shino's was no better. In fact, his was so nasty it was beyond words and he had forbidden himself from even thinking about it. Too bad the images for a shirtless Kiba kept creeping into his mind. The two sat in the dirt in fetal positions refusing to talk to anyone.

"Um… what's wrong with them?" Hinata asked.

Her sensei shrugged. "Got me."

In town, the group spied a few familiar faces sitting under a canopy. Hinata hid as best she could behind Shino when she caught sight of Naruto sitting next to her cousin. Shino and Kiba glanced at the only female under the roof, surrounded by boys. She was very cute. Heck, she was downright hot!

Kiba was the first to make a move. He strut over to them, laid his hand down on the table and leaned down. When the cute girl glanced up at him, he wolf-whistled. "Wow, baby, you're hot!"

She turned away with pink cheeks. "Oh, really..!" She giggled, encouraging Kiba to pursue her.

"Well, now… How would you like to..?" He was cut off by an angry Uchiha snarling in his face. Sasuke glared daggers at the canine-boy, ordering him to back off. _Was this__** his **__girlfriend or something?_ Kiba pulled away slowly, but Sasuke kept an eye on him.

Shino mentally rolled his eyes. Typical Kiba... He, of all people, would try to flirt with a girl with such bad pick-up lines. He wasn't the subtle type.

Sure enough, Kiba was still at it, taking on a slightly different approach this time. "Would you like me to buy to a drink? It's no trouble."

She shook her head. "No, thank you. I'm afraid I don't drink… what's on the menu."

"Not even a water?" he asked hopefully.

Sasuke grabbed the back of Crystal's chair and pulled it closer to his, growling deep in his throat and glaring at Kiba. Kiba raised an eyebrow. _What's his problem?_

~*~*~

Later that night was when things started to get very strange. Sasuke sat across from Crystal at his kitchen table listening to the conversation started by Naruto. He wasn't really paying attention. He was starting to feel very strange, actually. He stared out the window, unaware that he hadn't stopped rubbing his hands together for the past five minutes. He started fidgeting in his seat. Crystal looked at him. "Sasuke, why don't you play me a song?"

His eyes wondered over to the violin on the floor. He agreed and picked it up. He started playing beautiful classical music while the others went on talking.

Crystal leaned forward to hear Naruto better. The strap of her dress slid slowly down her smooth shoulders, revealing her bra strap and pale flesh. Sasuke found himself unable to look away. A maddening desire was swelling up inside of him, but he had to resist. He bit his lip and kept on playing. She giggled at something Shikamaru said. Oh, how he loved that laugh. The more he watched her, the more powerful his urges became. He was transfixed by her every gesture; her ever word. Everything about her was so alluring. It became too much to bear. Sasuke's mind suddenly went blank. The violin fell from his hands and onto the floor.

The group at the table looked up. Sasuke just stood there staring at Crystal. "Sasuke?"

At the call of his name from her pink lips, Sasuke gave in to his desire. Faithful to his instincts, Sasuke followed himself to charge forward. He leapt over the table and into her lap. She let out a yelp of surprise as they tumbled backwards onto the flood.

"Sasuke?!"

Ignoring his name, he crawled after Crystal on all fours at an alarming pace and jumped into her arms where they immediately embraced and engaged in an extremely passionate kiss. Of course, it was Sasuke doing all of this. Crystal was just along for the ride, but she didn't seem to mind the sudden burst of passion from her mate.

"What the Hell are they doing?!" Naruto shouted.

"They're at it again?! Come on!"

Sasuke had Crystal on her back, his arms wrapped around her hips, kissing her fiercely. Crystal flattened her forearms against his chest and leaned into him as they wrestled lips. Sasuke sat up for a moment, holding Crystal's waist and the back of her head, looking into her eyes. He dove back in for another taste of her lips a moment later, kneeling over her body.

Neji's eye twitched. "Perhaps we should leave," he suggested.

Shikamaru jumped backwards to avoid a headband that had been catapulted into the air. "That would be the best idea," he muttered. They made a break for the door trying their best to ignore the passionate moans that were filling the room.

"Why must they do that?" Neji spat. "Have some restraint!"

"Come on, let's get out of here."

~*~*~

They were sweating intensely and Sasuke had removed his shirt, propping himself up on one arm. They were currently switching places for the top in battle for dominance. At last Sasuke had taken his position on the top and pushed Crystal into the floor. He slipped his tongue between her teeth and explored the inside of her mouth.

This wasn't right. Something was wrong with him.

Crystal pushed against his shoulders in protest. He parted from her lips. She looked into his glowing red eyes. They were filled with passion and desire, but something else. Something that she had never seen in his eyes before… It was a dull, distant look, almost like a person who was half asleep.

Her eyes widened in shock. She knew what this meant. "Sasuke, enough. Get off me."

He didn't listen. Instead of heeding her request, he bent down for another kiss. Her protests were cut off as he captured her lips. She pushed against him again, grunting with effort.

"Sasuke, stop it! I mean it! That's enough! We have to talk, now."

Ignoring her completely, Sasuke began to remove her black dress. She held the hem down with one arm while pushing Sasuke away with the other. This wouldn't do. He wanted to see her body. She must've been so hot under that black dress. He tugged desperately at the straps.

"I meant it, now stop it!"

Sasuke ripped the left strap of her dress and the silky material fell revealing her bare shoulder and the left side of her bra. She reached up and slapped him across the face, sending him tumbling to the wooden floor. She scrambled up into a sitting position, panting and watching Sasuke as he recovered.

He blinked. And blinked again. He rolled onto his knees and pulled himself into a kneeling position and looked around. What just happened? It felt like he had just blacked out. Why was his face stinging and how did he end up on the floor like this?

His memories flooded back to him in blurry bursts. He remembered! He turned to Crystal who was backed up against the wall. _Oh, God, what have I done? I almost_…

"Crystal, I'm… I'm so sorry! I- I don't know what came over me! I just…"

She shook her head. "I know, Sasuke. I understand." She got to her feet in a flash. "We have to find the others. Where'd they go?"

"I- I don't know. I wasn't paying attention. But wh-?"

"There's no time! We have to find them fast. If Naruto's with them, he could be in danger!" For the first time ever, Crystal's eyed held nothing but fear and worry. Sasuke had never seen that before. What could be happening to frighten her so badly?

~*~*~

"Please?! PLEASE?"

"Ugh, why do you want it so bad?"

"Because you can do it and I can't. Besides, it looks like fun! Please?" Naruto put his hands together, begging.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "It's too troublesome. Get Neji to do it."

Neji shook his head and backed away.

Naruto gave him puppy eyes. "_Please_?"

He groaned. "What a pain..! Fine! I'll take you flying. Turn around."

"Yes!" Naruto did a little victory dance before turning around and raising his hands over his head. "I've only done this once before with Crystal to get down the side of a cliff, but it was too short."

"Yeah, yeah…" Shikamaru took Naruto's hands firmly in his and kicked off from the ground. Naruto's feet left earth, pulled by his arms into the sky. They rose higher and higher off the ground. He looked down and watched the village shrink into the distance as they climbed higher into the sky. They passed through the think dark clouds about and Shikamaru stopped in midair once they were clear of them.

It was a beautiful scene. Naruto had never seen the stars so close before. He had never smelt the air so damp and clear before either. It was a breathtaking sight. And to think, the vampires got to see this every night. Naruto loved the amazing view and the felling of nothing but the air beneath you.

"It's beautiful…" he breathed.

Shikamaru nodded. "Yeah, it is."

"You know, at first I thought you were weird for saying that you wanted to be a cloud, but now that I see this, I can understand."

"Uh-huh."

Naruto felt so free here above the clouds, so close to the sky. He felt as if he could reach out and pluck a star from right in front of him. He let his mind wonder a little before speaking. "You know, it's kinda nice up here. Vampires get to see this stuff all the time."

Shikamaru grunted an 'mm-hmm' and Naruto went on.

"You know, I… Never mind."

"No, what is it?"

"Well… I've been thinking."

"Don't hurt yourself."

"Shikamaru!"

"Sorry. You were saying?"

"Was thinking for some time now… You guys can do so much. You can rip trees out of the ground with your super strength, move really fast… Faster than any ninja I've seen. And you can even control people and turn into bats and fly around! It's great isn't it?"

"Well, there are down sides, too, you know."

"I know, but…" He trailed off looking at the stars above. "I barely get to see you guys anymore since we're on different schedules. And I've been thinking… Maybe… Maybe I should ask Crystal to… bite me."

"Are you INSANE?!"

Naruto jumped at Shikamaru's tone.

"Life as a vampire is hard! Do you have any idea what you're asking?"

"But all the super cool stuff you guys get to do. It's awesome!"

"Maybe, but there are down sides like I said. You'll never be able to go into sunlight again. You won't be able to eat human food anymore, you sleep during the day, look for blood at night; have to keep your life a secret… It's a lot harder than you think. You'll miss being human." His grip tightened on Naruto's hands. "I know I do."

Naruto grew quiet. "You do?"

"Of course. I miss taking naps in the sun. Birds singing… I miss eating my favorite foods. I can only go outside on cloudy days and not for very long. I miss hanging out with Choji and, God knows why, but I'm starting to miss Ino, too. I miss playing Shogi games with Asuma-sensei… It's so hard being a vampire, Naruto."

"Don't you like it at all?"

"Well… yeah, I do. But I was turned into a vampire out of necessity. If Sasuke didn't bite me when he did, I'd be dead right now. It was done to save my life. I understand that. I don't hate him for it; I'm grateful. But…" Shikamaru didn't finish. He looked up at the sky.

Naruto had no idea that being a vampire was really that bad…

Meanwhile, Neji flew though the village, passing the time. They had already fed so there was no need for more. The ground was getting closer for some reason. Neji looked around and realized that he was slowly descending without being aware of it. Stranger than that was the fact that he couldn't bring himself back up. He landed on the ground and started walking. That was strange… Why couldn't he fly back up? Suddenly, he felt very dizzy and swayed. What was happening to him? Why was he so lightheaded?

Back in the sky, Shikamaru gave a soft moan.

"Are you ok?" Naruto asked.

"I… I don't know…" He sounded dazed. "I… I feel kinda… kinda funny…"

"Funny how?"

"I don't know. I just feel funny…" Shikamaru's eyes suddenly started to glow red and he looked down at the tops of the clouds. "Do you smell that?"

"Uh, no. I don't have a sensitive nose like you do."

Shikamaru's broke into a wicked smile and he dove out of the sky, releasing his grip on Naruto's hands. "Shik-AAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Naruto screamed as he fell through the clouds and plummeted towards earth. He shut his eyes and was suddenly caught by bandaged arms.

Looking up, he found Neji staring back at him. "I can't leave you alone for one second?"

"It was Shikamaru's fault! He dropped me!"

"Why?"

"How should I know? Ask him!"

Neji set Naruto on a rooftop and looked about. "I don't see him anywhere."

"He's probably being a… What are you doing?!"

Neji was sniffing Naruto's torso like a curious dog. He sniffed Naruto's neck and grew fangs. "You smell good." Sniff, sniff. "_Really_ good!" He wrapped his arms around Naruto's body as if hugging him and tried to bite his neck.

"What the Hell are you doing?! Get the Hell off!" He pushed against Neji, but he had a good solid hold on him and wasn't about to let go anytime soon.

"Don't worry, Naruto. It only hurts for a second. It'll all be over soon." He had a strange look in his eyes. There were glowing and looked dull and cold. That wasn't normal. Neji moved in for the bite.

Two pairs of arms shoot out of nowhere and separated the two. Naruto fell back into Crystal's arms while Sasuke kept Neji at bay. He backhanded Neji across the face and told him to snap out of it. Neji blinked and his eyes returned to normal.

"What… what just happened?" he asked as if just waking up. "When did..?"

Crystal asked, "Where's Shikamaru?"

They looked at each other. "I think he went that way," said Naruto, pointing down the street.

She grabbed the boys and pulled them after her. "Move it!"

~*~*~

"Oh, stop it, Shikamaru! You're teasing!"

"No, I'm not. I really do think that you're pretty cute." Shikamaru stood outside of a girl's window, turning on the charm. She was rather cute, but he was after only one thing: blood.

He placed two fingers under her chin and stroked gently. She twittered and blushed. He smiled. He was winning her over. He held out his hand to her and asked her to come. She happily complied and stepped out of the window and into his waiting arms. He tilted her chin up to look her in the eyes. What was is about charming, princely men that turned these girls on so much? Shikamaru would never understand girls, but he knew enough to get a meal. As her eyes closed, he bent down and brushed her hair aside to get a clear shot at her neck. His long sharp fangs moved in.

"Shikamaru!"

He looked up. "Hi, guys. Don't worry; I'll let you have a taste when I'm done." Crystal pulled Shikamaru to his feet. "What?"

"You can't bite her. You've already fed tonight."

"It's just a little snack. I'll share."

Naruto carried the girl back to her room while the vampires argued.

"See? You made me lose my lunch." Shikamaru pointed to Naruto struggling to literally shove the girl back through the window.

"You'll lose more than that when I'm through with you," Crystal threatened. Once again, Sasuke found her harsh tone ever so sexy. He felt the familiar desire bubbling up and spreading throughout his body.

Crystal clunked their heads together and ordered them back to Sasuke's house. "But why?" Shikamaru asked, rubbing the side of his head.

"I said to go home and I meant it! Now move it!" She sounded like a mother scolding her juvenile delinquent children after getting into a mess of trouble. Not sticking around to argue, the boys scattered.

"You sure showed them, huh?" Naruto said, having just finished shoving the girl through the window and onto her bedroom floor. Crystal looked at the ground. "What's the matter?"

She shook her head. "It's nothing… I'll tell you later. Right now I have other things to attend to." She smiled at Naruto, but unlike her usual smiles, this one was forced.

"Are you ok?"

She nodded. "I'm fine. I'll tell you later." She turned and flew away.

Something was very wrong. Naruto had never seen her look so sad before. What was going on?

~*~*~

Despite it being another cloudy day, Naruto didn't see any of the vampires. That evening, he went to Sasuke's house to get information. The house was dark as usual, but there were things there that were indeed out of place. Neji was lying on a couch, tracing the grooves in the wooden floor with his finger. He looked depressed.

Naruto approached. "Are you ok?"

Neji grunted in response. He didn't look at him, keeping his eyes glued to the floor instead.

Naruto went upstairs and passed by Sasuke who was huddled in a corner, drawing circles in the floor with his finger. He looked just as depressed as Neji, if such a thing were possible. Shikamaru was on the porch, lying flat on his back, staring at the rain clouds. He didn't even acknowledge Naruto when he asked how he was. What was wrong with everyone?

He made way to Sasuke's room and found Crystal standing on the balcony looking into the distance. He walked up and stood beside her. "What's up with everyone? Why are they so depressed?"

"I told them the truth and they're taking it pretty hard," she explained.

"I don't get it. What did you tell them? They're not dying are they?"

"Oh, no, no. Nothing like that." She turned to face him. "You have a right to know, too, as our friend and ally. How much do you know about vampires?"

He shrugged. "Not that much. I know thing things I've seen and what I've been told, but… Why?"

"Are you aware of the vampire sleeping-cycle?"

"Uhh…"

"I'll take that as a 'no'. You see, vampires sleep differently from humans."

"Yeah, during the day."

"Yes, like that. But there's something else, too. Vampires also have a hibernation cycle as well."

Naruto gaped at her. "You're kidding…"

She shook her head. "No. What they were going through yesterday were the first signs of the hibernation. It means it's about to start."

"When is that exactly?"

She shrugged. "Not long. My guess is… we won't last the rest of the week."

His jaw dropped. "What?! That soon?" He was panicking. Sasuke and the others were going to hibernate in less than a week!

"Here's the thing. For our hibernation, we must wait it out on our home soil. This means that we sleep in our homelands. In my case, I'm going to have to travel back home for my hibernation while the boys remain here, because this is there homeland. I've been preparing for this for some time now. I've been going back home to make sure that everything was set for my hibernation."

"So_ that's_ where you've been disappearing to all this time!"

"During the next few days, they're going to be getting weaker and weaker and it will increase in their need for blood. Usually on the last night before hibernation, we drink a lot of blood. You have to watch them and make sure that they don't kill anyone since I'll probably be gone by that time. Also, they can't sleep here for hibernation pick a nice safe cave or something, and they should be in some sort of coffin-type thing to protect them."

Naruto nodded, taking mental notes. "Mm-hmm, I got it. But just how long does this hibernation last? Is it gonna be like bears and animals like that and hibernate for the winter or something?"

Crystal was silent. "Naruto, don't you wonder why you haven't seen or heard from a vampire in so long and why there've been no recent reports of massive blood loss in people?"

"Uh… no. Why?" He started to put two and two together. "Just how long does this last?"

"Well, the hibernation happens every few years and the cycle itself is random. Hibernation can last between three months to… 50 years."

"50 YEARS?!" Naruto screamed. "You guys are gonna be sleeping for 50 years?! I'll be an old man the next time I see you guys!"

"Like I said, it's random. It _could _be 50 years or it could be three months. My last hibernation lasted about 26 years. There's no way to tell for sure." She got quiet again. But there's something else."

"Oh, more good news?" he growled sarcastically.

"These guys are all first timers and their transformations were all different. And now that they're not human anymore, there's really no reason for them to recall what it was like. If you know what I mean."

"I don't. What are you saying?"

"Their hibernation will last a long time. They'll be separated from you for a long, long time and even now you guys are separated by you differences. What I'm saying is that when they wake up… they might not remember being human."

All that could be heard was a rumble him the distance as the storm grew closer. Naruto froze in place, suddenly finding it hard to breathe. "Won't… remember..?"

She nodded. "Now that they're no longer human, why should they remember it? I can't remember what it was like for me when I was human."

"You were human?"

"That's right. I'm not a pureblood. Of course, it took me years to forget, but the pint is that I can't remember what it was like. Where I went to school, if I had friends… I don't recall any of that. I've been alive for so long, all the friends I used to have are probably dead by now. That's the problem with being a vampire, too. We're hunted. That's why I'm the last vampire of my clan. We've all been hunted down for years and killed. My family is gone…" She looked back at the clouds above with a bittersweet expression. "That's why I wanted a strong mate. I wanted someone who could help protect any vampires that remain and to help rebuild the clan."

"But why do you care? Why do you want more vampires in the world if they're just gonna get hunted?"

"Because I don't want to be the last one anymore," she said sadly. "I don't want to be alone anymore. Don't you wish you had a family? Don't you get lonely?"

Suddenly, Naruto felt that he could understand. He knew what it was like being alone. He knew that pain very well. He also knew what it was like to be hated for something you couldn't help.

He gave her a nod. "I'll help you guys in anyway I can. I promise."

She turned and gave him a hug. Naruto hesitated, but ended up hugging her back. They stayed like that for several minutes, listening to the rain as it poured down, soaking their bodies.

"I'm going to miss you, Naruto. I'm so glad to have met you."

Naruto couldn't find any words to say. He held her as she shook slightly in the rain as it washed her tears away.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It's a little sad, isn't it? It was kinda long, too, huh?

Sorry. XP

The next one is gonna be sweet, I think.

I think I'm going to do two more chapters of this before it's done. (I think)

Later! ^-^


	29. Chapter 29 Bloodlust

**Chapter 29: Bloodlust**

"Kakashi," Crystal called.

He turned just in time to see her put a hand to her chest. Immediately, he knelt before her like a knight bowing to his lord. "Yes, your Highness?"

_So he's still under her influence_, Naruto thought. He stood off to the side and watched.

"I request your immediate assistance," she told him. When Kakashi nodded, she went on. "I need you to build coffins for my friends here." She gestured to the trio behind her.

"Coffins, princess?"

"Yes. They need three coffins and they need to be finished by the end of the week. Can you construct them for me?"

Kakashi took her hand in his and kissed the back of it. "For you, dear princess, anything."

Sasuke was clenching and unclenching his shirt again. It seemed that he even had a problem with Kakashi being 'nice' to her.

Naruto inhaled the scent of rain in the air. It had just finished raining and everything was damp and gloomy. It had taken a lot of persistence to convince the vampires to leave the house. If the combined efforts of both Naruto and Crystal didn't go into it, they would probably still be sulking in that house. But Naruto understood.

It was a hard concept to grasp. Within a few days, all the vampires would be asleep for God knows how long. The hibernation cycle was different every time so there was no way to tell how long they'd be asleep or when they'd wake up. It could be a matter of months or years.

Crystal had also warned him about the symptoms that they would experience prior to the actual hibernation. They would get weaker and weaker by the day and they would feel very tired at times. Usually the day before the hibernation starts, they would experience an increase in their need for blood. This meant that they needed to be watched when they fed otherwise they might suck them dry and end up killing the person.

But there was another problem, too. What were they going to tell everyone? Surly their families or teams would notice if they disappear for a few years. What were they going to do?

"Naruto?"

Startled, Naruto jumped up. "Huh? What?"

"Are you alright?" Crystal asked.

"Uh, yeah… Yeah, I was just thinking. Sorry. What's up?"

"Kakashi's going to make coffins for the boys. I already have mine back home, so I don't need one."

"Oh, that's great."

"By the way," Shikamaru piped up. "How long is Kakashi going to be under your control? Will he snap out of it when hibernation starts?"

"Yes," she answered. "Once I go to sleep, the spell, all the spells I've put on people will be broken."

More silence. Then…

"Should we inform our teams?" Neji asked.

They looked at each other. After a while, Crystal nodded her head.

"If you want to, go ahead. The choice is up to you. We should tell Tsunade at the very least. Right, Sasuke?"

He nodded.

Everyone was so quiet. Naruto couldn't blame any of them for that. After all, what were you supposed to do when you found out that some of your closest friends were about to go into hibernation for an unknown period of time. On top of that, there was a chance that the male vampires wouldn't remember the humans when they woke up. That was especially hard for Naruto to accept.

~*~*~

Choji entered the flower shop and found Ino flipping through a magazine behind the counter. Of course, she wasn't really reading it. She glanced up when Choji entered. "Yeah?"

"Shikamaru told you, huh?"

"Told me what? That he was going to go to sleep for God knows how long and leave us on our own without a strategist and a teammate? That he decided to tell us this a few days before it actually happens?"

"…yeah, that."

She violently flipped through the magazine.

"At least he told us." She ignored him. "Look, I'm as upset about this as you are."

"Upset? I'm not upset! All I wanted was a little heads up about this. And, yeah, I got it, but still… I mean would it kill the guy to let us know about this a little sooner so that we can prepare?"

Choji watched her violently tear through the magazine as she spoke.

"He couldn't have told us about this when we were talking about vampires? I had no idea vampires hibernated! I mean, I'm grateful to Sasuke for saving him. I mean, the guy saved his life by turning him into a vampire, but I mean… I mean, I was going to lose him before! Now we're going to lose him again! Sure, he's not gonna die, but still!"

The pages in the magazine started to rip.

"And on top of all that, he might not remember us?! He's going to sleep and leave us and when he wakes up, he's going to forget us?!"

"But that's not for sure!"

"I know and I don't care!" The magazine ripped in half. Huffing in anger, Ino threw it across the room and into the wall. "Forget this! I've got work to do!" With that, she stomped off into the backroom.

Choji watched her in silence. Then he turned to the shredded magazine on the floor and murmured, "Yeah, I'm gonna miss him, too."

~*~*~

Shikamaru looked up.

"What's the matter?"

He looked back at Asuma. "Nothing. Your move."

They had been playing Shogi for a good part of the morning. Asuma wasn't stupid. He could tell that something was going on with his student. It wasn't unlike Shikamaru to space out during a game, but today he seemed very distracted for some reason.

Shikamaru didn't know what to do. Should he tell him or not? They were very close, but…

"Your turn."

Shikamaru looked at the board. He moved his piece. "Checkmate."

Asuma blinked and looked at the board. "Somehow, I'm not surprised. Good game."

"Hey, Asuma..?"

"Yes, what is it?"

Shikamaru opened his mouth as if to speak, but closed it again and gave a shake of his head. "No, it's nothing. Never mind."

Asuma nodded and set up a new game. "I haven't seen you around much lately. What's been going on? Been too busy for training with your team?"

Shikamaru didn't answer. He just stared at the board, deep in thought.

"Shikamaru?"

His head snapped up. "What?"

"Is everything alright? You seem distant."

"No, I'm fine…" He looked back at the board. "I… Asuma… I have to tell you something."

"What is it?"

He inhaled deeply. "It's not going to be easy, but… I have to tell you this. It all started on that mission a while ago…"

~*~*~

Sasuke spent the night with Crystal alone on a rooftop, staring at the stars. He squeezed her hand gently and breathed in her scent. He tried to put the whole hibernation thing out of his mind, but he just couldn't. It was too big of a deal.

"Crystal?"

"Hmm?"

"Before you leave… is there anything you want to do before hibernation?"

She rested her head against his chest. She made a small noise, but it wasn't an answer.

"I want to spend the time I have with you guys." She paused, then added, "But I would also like to sing a little bit. Just for the love of singing."

"Like a concert?"

"Maybe…"

Sasuke gave a small smile. "I think I can make that happen." He sealed his promise with a kiss.

~*~*~

Crystal stood next to Sasuke on the rooftop later that night. Sasuke held a violin to his chin and a bow in the other hand. He was going to play her a song and she was going to sing.

"What's up?" Naruto asked, spying the two other vampires on the road.

Shikamaru pointed up. "Crystal's going to sing."

"She's putting on a concert? What for?"

Neji shrugged. "It's her wish. Sasuke's taken it upon himself to please her final requests."

"Yeah, but… her powers…" Naruto stuttered.

"Don't worry. She's not trying anything. It's just for her love of singing."

Naruto was about to object again when he heard it. Crystal's song. It was beautiful. He turned his head skyward to watch. Sasuke played the violin so skillfully and Crystal sang so beautifully. It was amazing. Suddenly, Naruto no longer wanted to interfere. He just wanted to listen. It was a magnificent performance.

All the unanswered questions, all the uncertainties, all the stress melted away with the song leaving behind a feeling of bliss. This was the power of Crystal's vampire song. It calmed everything. It quelled the storm in their hearts. It made everything right.

Naruto stood next to the vampires and listen in quiet awe. Shikamaru closed his eyes to listen and Neji swayed slightly to the melody. Vampire or human, no one could resist her song. This was her power. The song made everything right.

~*~*~

Naruto wanted to spend as much time with them as possible before the hibernation started. But between training and missions, Naruto didn't know how long he could keep this up. Tsunade was aware of the situation and decided not to send any of the boys out on missions. But you don't tell that to a determined Uchiha and Hyuga. Both of them still wanted to be able to go out on missions and help out.

That being said, it didn't take a genius to figure out who wanted to come along once they found out that Naruto had a mission.

"But guys!" Naruto whined. "Grandma said-!"

"We're not useless!" Neji protested. "We can still fight. We want to come along."

Sasuke nodded in agreement.

Naruto looked at Crystal. There was no way Sasuke would go anywhere without her. "What about Crystal?"

"Don't worry. I'm coming, too."

His jaw dropped and he let out a loud moan of frustration. "Fine! Be that way! The group left for the mission and, much to Naruto's surprise, Kakashi didn't protest. Sakura kept her distance from the group as much as possible and walked in silence. After traveling for a couple of miles, Sakura motioned for Naruto to come closer.

"Say, uh, Naruto?" she whispered.

"Yeah?"

"You know what's going on with Sasuke and the others, right? I want you to tell me what's going on."

His eyes shifted from side to side, feigning innocence. "I, uh… have no idea what you're-"

"I heard you the other day. You and Sasuke used the word 'vampire'. Now tell me the truth. Is Sasuke a vampire? And if he is, then who else is one, too?"

It was unavoidable. "Yes, Sasuke is a vampire and so are Neji, and Shikamaru."

"Why didn't you tell me this?!"

"Because Sasuke told me to keep it a secret."

"Oh, but he told you?"

"Actually, I found out by accident. But look, now that you know, you gotta understand. They're still the same people. They're not really all that dangerous. At least, no more than usual… But Sakura-"

"I'll keep it a secret."

Naruto blinked. "Huh?"

"If it's supposed to be a secret, then I'll keep it that way." She turned her sad eyes up to his. "I just wish you'd tell me these things before I make a disaster happen. Ok?"

He nodded. "Uh, sure." _What's up with her? Why does she look so sad?_

~*~*~

Later that night, the ninja and vampires set out to look for the enemy. Three rogue ninja were terrorizing a village and it was their job to stop them. With the help of four vampires, it shouldn't be too hard to apprehend the bad guys. Unfortunately, Naruto didn't take into account that the vampires happened to be weakened, despite the fact that it was nighttime. Hibernation was well on its way.

Sakura was put in charge of helping the injured in the village while the others went ahead to stop the ninja. Kakashi, as their team leader, pointed them in the right directions. Finally, they were close enough to attack. Naruto and the vampires sprang out of the trees and surrounded them. The three rouge ninja weren't fazed.

In fact, one ninja thought it was a joke and laughed out loud. "Please. Is this all the Leaf had to offer? A bunch of kids? And a girl, no less! She's not even dressed like a ninja."

Crystal looked down at her dress. "At least I look nice…"

"Yeah, you do," Sasuke swooned. He had on that same goofy smile that Naruto didn't know whether to find funny or sickening.

One of the ninja took this opportunity to attack with a few long needles aimed at their legs. Neji effortlessly slapped them away and charged after the ninja on the right. Shikamaru zigzagged after the one on the left and Kakashi went after the one in the middle. Naruto stood back and watched for a moment to see if the vampires could handle things without his help. He wanted more than anything to beat the stuffing out of those rouge ninja, but there was a chance that the vampires might suffer some sort of lapse and look at him as fast-food if he got in their way.

"Don't you think you should help them?" Crystal asked Sasuke.

He glanced over his shoulder at the fight taking place behind him. Giving a smirk, he dove right in to help Shikamaru.

The ninja fighting Neji aimed three kunai straight ahead. Thinking that the ninja was aiming at him, Neji caught one blade effortlessly in his bare hands and side-stepped to avoid the second. The third, however, made contact with its intended target.

"OW!"

All three vampires stopped in their tracks and turned around.

The handle of the kunai was sticking out of Crystal's arm. She pulled it out and covered the wound with her hand.

A full second went by before the vampires reacted. Eyes glowing bright red, Sasuke bellowed in rage and rounded on the ninja responsible. Neji and Shikamaru also had the same look in their eyes and followed Sasuke in his stampede. Something triggered in their brains when they saw Crystal injured like that. Sasuke's reaction came as no surprise, but the other two? That Naruto couldn't understand.

As all three vampires attacked the one who harmed Crystal and Kakashi continued to fight his opponent, the third snuck around to attack the injured Crystal. But her reflexes were as keen as ever. Sensing the danger behind her, she instantly responded. Without even turning around, she delivered a powerful kick to his jaw, stepped off to the side and slugged him in the face.

Naruto just stood there, thoroughly impressed. _No wonder Sasuke has the hots for you_…

But something was wrong.

Kicking butt one second, Crystal was laying on the ground the next. Why did she just collapse like that? Was her injury that severe? Naruto rushed to her side with a few shadow clones. While they kept the ninja at bay, Naruto bent down next to her body in the grass.

"Are you ok? Are you hurt?"

Crystal shook her head. "It's not that… I'm just weakening… That's all."

"Weak? But…" It hit him. "Wait. If you're getting weak, then are they going to..?"

"Yes," she nodded. "You have to keep an eye on them. Sasuke and the others will feel the effects soon, I think. But I can't help you in this fight anymore." She turned away. "Kakashi!"

The silver-haired ninja turned.

Crystal put a hand to her chest.

His implanted disposition kicked in. Throwing down the ninja he had been fighting, he rushed to her side. "Yes, your Highness?"

"I'm in the way," she told him. "I'm injured and weak. I can't stay here."

"Understood, Princess." Kakashi knelt down and picked her put in his arms. "We'll retreat for now. I'll take you to a safe place."

Crystal nodded and turned to the blond. "Naruto, please look after them, ok?"

He nodded back. "No problem! It's nothing I can't handle."

"Thanks."

"Come, Princess." Carrying her bridal style, Kakashi retreated into the woods.

Naruto looked back at the rest of the group. So far everything seemed fine. That is, until Neji started staggering. He was always so surefooted so it was very obvious that something was wrong. Shikamaru tripped over his own feet and face-planted into the ground. Aside from stumbling around a little bit, Sasuke didn't seem to be doing too badly.

Shikamaru tried to get up, but ended up slamming into a tree and slumping down onto its roots. Naruto rushed to his aid.

"Are you ok?"

All he got was a soft moan.

Sasuke came flying through the air and landed next to Shikamaru by the tree. "Something's wrong with me," he groaned. "I've never left like this before. I feel so weak…"

Naruto kept an eye on Neji, worried that he, too, might keel over any second and make himself an easy target for the ninja he was fighting.

"Naruto…"

"Yeah?"

"I'm really… thirsty…"

His blue eyes turned to Sasuke's red ones. "Uh… hang on a second. Let me find you…"

"Naruto?"

"What?"

"You… you're full of blood, aren't you?"

Naruto took a large step back. He didn't like the strange gleam in Sasuke's eyes. "Hang on a second. Wait a minute."

Sasuke crawled after Naruto. He grabbed his orange jacket and pulled himself up, leaning into his face. "Just a little taste. It'll be quick."

Naruto backed up even further. "Sasuke… please, stop it. I know you don't really mean that. It's the… the hibernation side-effects talking, not you."

"If you like, I could put you in a trance so you won't feel anything. It won't hurt, I promise."

Naruto looked frantically around for an escape. He found one of the rouge ninja lying unconscious in the grass where Crystal had been not too long ago. That would work.

Sasuke clawed at Naruto's collar trying to get to his neck. "Just a bite… One little bite won't hurt."

"Sasuke, snap out of it! I'm not your food supply, I'm your friend."

He paused for a moment, as if contemplating this.

"It's me: Naruto!"

Sasuke's eyes flickered from red to his normal dark coals. He shut his eyes and winced as if something were hurting him. "No… No, I can't!" he moaned. "I can't think like that…"

"Sasuke..?" Naruto asked cautiously.

"I can't… think like that… No, I won't… No!"

He was fighting for control. His instincts were screaming for him to bite but he wouldn't allow himself to do it. Naruto could feel his nails digging into his shoulders as he fought to regain control. Even as he pled, his fangs inched closer and closer to Naruto's neck. He was losing the battle.

Thinking fast, Naruto grabbed Sasuke's head and pushed him down, forcing him to his knees. "Drink this," Naruto ordered him, shoving his face into the rouge ninja's neck.

He sniffed the man's neck and his mouth watered. He peeled back his collar and bit down on his throat.

Naruto turned away. Now that Sasuke was happily drinking the man's blood, that meant that he was free to watch over the other vampires. Neji was still taking on the ninja in front of him and Sasuke was slurping up the other's blood and Shikamaru was still over by the tree.

Wait. That was only two rouge ninja and three vampires. Where was the third ninja?

He got his answer in the form of a loud battle cry from above. He jumped away as the third ninja jumped down from the trees. He pulled out a knife and Naruto pulled out a shadow clone. But before Naruto could do anything, the third person had joined the fray.

Shikamaru jumped out of nowhere and latched onto the man from behind. Eyes aglow, he bit down on the man's neck and drank the fresh blood that poured forth.

Naruto backed away. It seemed like Shikamaru had a good handle on things here. He hurried to help Neji.

The Hyuga was too weak to stand anymore and fell to the ground. He couldn't move his body anymore. The ninja stood above him and raised his blade above his head.

"Rasengan!"

The ninja looked up in time to see an orange blur followed by incredible pain in his chest. The force of the attack sent him flying into a tree and onto the ground.

Wasting no time, Naruto lifted Neji over his shoulder and over to the ninja. He helped Neji over to the ninja's neck and allowed him to drink.

Naruto sat in the grass and watched the vampires drink their fill of blood. Was this what it was going to be like for the rest of the week? Even at night, they were so weak and couldn't summon up that much power for too long. On top of that, their bloodlust seemed to have increased a lot.

Why was he the one who had to babysit hem, anyway? This whole hibernation thing was just troublesome.


	30. Chapter 30 Hibernation

know it's late. Very late… But don't hate me, please..!

**Chapter 30: Hibernation**

Hibernation was just around the corner and everyone knew it. It caused all three vampires to go into a state of depression knowing that they only had a few days left. Their symptoms were getting worse. They were getting weaker and weaker and their need for blood was increasing. It was only a matter of time now.

Naruto came over to visit Sasuke's house that afternoon to check up on them. He found Shikamaru and Neji sitting outside Sasuke's bedroom door. "How's he doing?"

Neji opened the door a crack and all they heard were Sasuke's wails of despair. "Waaah! Crystal! I miss you..!" Neji closed the door again and the noise was muted.

"He's been like that ever since Kakashi took Crystal back to her homeland," Shikamaru explained. "He's been so depressed."

"We all have." Neji looked at the floor. "There's so little time left. We're not going to last much longer."

"How are your powers?" Naruto asked.

"Fading," Neji answered. "Sasuke hasn't been able to turn into a bat anymore and our strength is diminishing."

"Naruto…" Shikamaru asked pathetically. He sounded so helpless and weak. "Can I have a small taste..?"

"Taste?"

"Of your blood. Please?"

He backed away. "No way! In your state, you'll just end up killing me."

"I'll be careful. Promise." His voice sounded so distant and whiny. He sounded like a small child begging his mother for permission to play with something that he shouldn't be touching. It was a pathetic sound.

Naruto refused. "I can't let you."

Shikamaru's eyes began to glow red. "Don't be selfish! Give me a taste!"

"Sh- Shikamaru..!" That look in his eyes… This wasn't good.

The normally lazy ninja advanced toward him and made a grab for his jacket. "Just one bite isn't gonna kill you! Come here!"

Naruto jumped back and covered up his neck. When Shikamaru lunged, Neji jumped up and held him back.

"Stop it, Shikamaru! Snap out of it!"

"I need it! Please, just one bite! I need that blood!" He was out of control. He was going into a bloodlust-rampage.

"Shikamaru, get a hold of yourself! Calm down! You don't know what you're doing! It's bloodlust! You can't give in to it!"

Shikamaru paused and shut his eyes, trying to regain control over himself. He allowed himself to be dragged back by Neji and sat against the wall breathing heavily. "I… I'm sorry…" he panted. "I don't know what came over me…"

"Our need for blood has increased. We can't help it. It's not your fault."

Shikamaru turned away. "Maybe… maybe it's best if you don't come any closer to me, Naruto. I don't know what I might do."

"But…"

"It's better if you don't."

He clenched his fist. "But I made a promise to Crystal that I'd look after you guys, and I never go back on my word!"

"I know, but…"

"Naruto, I admire your willfulness and dedication, but there's nothing you can do for us."

He wouldn't hear it. Naruto shook his head. "No! I won't accept that!" he shouted. "I am useful to you guys! I can still do so much to help you until that time comes! I can go into sunlight, I have more strength than you do right now, and I am a blood supply, I guess… I've kept this a secret from everyone so far and I've been helping you guys with everything up to this point! So don't think I'm going to back down and run away just because you tell me it's too dangerous, 'cause I won't! I'm going to stay here whether you like it or not!"

The two looked at each other. That was a pretty moving speech… definitely a Naruto thing… But aside from him, who else was willing to help them at this point?

There came a knock at the door. "Naruto! Are you in there?!" That was Sakura's voice.

He ran to the door and opened it. The vampires waited for a few minutes before he came running back upstairs. "You guys… You gotta see this! Come on! Get Sasuke."

~*~*~

Wrapped up in long cloaks and bandages, they followed Naruto to a small shack behind the Hokage's building. Sakura turned with a spin and smiled at them. She seemed happy about something. "We've been working on this little by little for a couple of days. They should be ready soon." She pulled open the door and showed them inside.

It was about the size of an average garage once they got inside. It was nice and cool and well shaded. The boys removed their hoods and looked around.

"N- Naruto!" squeaked Hinata and she bolted, tripping over a stack of lumber and a garbage can.

Neji got a good look around. Ino, Tenten and Hinata were crouching over three large crates. No, not crates. They were far too long and not as deep as a crate should be. They looked more like… coffins.

"Wh… What is all this?" Neji asked, shocked.

"Kakashi had started them himself but had stopped when he took Crystal back home," Sakura explained. She walked over behind one wooden coffin. "What do you think? We've taken over the job while he's away… and we're almost done, too! These ones should be ready by tomorrow."

Tenten flagged Neji down and gestured to the coffin in front of her. "See, Neji? This one's yours."

"M- mine?" He studied it closely. "How do you know if I'll fit?"

"Easy! We're on the same team, so I know how tall you are compared to me. I made it a little bigger than I needed to make sure that you'd be comfortable. You can test it out once I'm done."

Neji looked at the coffin. It had all four sides and a lid. "What's left?"

She held up some cloth. "You wanna be comfortable, don't you? I'm making you a pillow and some sheets you can sleep on. I'm almost done sewing them together." She held out a finished pillow. "Feel this. Is it soft enough or do you want it more firm?"

He hesitantly reached out and touched it with his right hand. "It's perfect."

"Good!"

"Hey, Tenten! Where do you want these?" Lee came into view carrying a large stack of wood and a box of nails.

"Over there's fine."

Neji made a small noise similar to a gasp. "Lee, too?"

"Of course! I want to help as much as I can for the upcoming hibernation of yours."

He was shocked. He glanced around at the others.

Ino grabbed Sasuke's arm and pointed to a coffin. "That one's yours! Sakura started building it… But I'm putting in the padding to make it more comfortable! See this pillow? Isn't it soft? Love it?"

"Where's mine?"

"Calm down, Shikamaru. I'm making yours, too. See? It's over there. Hinata was putting in the sheets and pillow when you came in."

Sasuke ran his hand over the Uchiha crest on the cover of the casket. So this was his… His coffin. This was where he'd sleep for God only knew how long.

Neji turned back to his coffin just as Tenten was finishing putting in the cloth mattress and sheets.

"Want to test it out?" she asked.

He nodded without a word and climbed inside. He stepped into the coffin with his left leg first. He placed his hands on the sides of the coffin for support and brought his other leg up and inside. He slowly lowered himself down until he was sitting in the middle of the coffin. It was soft. The cloth had been nailed into the walls of the coffin to soften the hard wood and make it more comfortable. The pillow was nice and soft, too. He stretched out his legs. There was room to spare in the coffin. But he didn't lay down. As comfortable as the coffin was, there was still something eerie about it. Perhaps it was the thought of being sealed inside a coffin for a good part of his life to sleep. He wasn't sure.

Tenten watched him and waited for his reaction.

Without even looking at her he said softly, "… Thank you…"

"You're welcome."

He kept his eyes away. "I can't believe you guys did all this for us."

"Of course we did. Vampire or not, you're still our teammate. We have to look out for each other."

Neji couldn't believe it. They cared so much for him. They were helping him. But that wasn't all. With hibernation quickly approaching, this didn't leave a lot of time for them to be together. They had to make the most out of what little time they had left. This was no time to be moping around wallowing in despair. This hibernation could last 50 whole years! If there was anything they wanted to do, they had better do it soon while they still had the chance. Time was of the essence.

~*~*~

Later that night, the group went out for a little get-together. The humans ordered take-out while the vampires were given donated blood packets to slurp on. Thanks to the Hokage, the hospital was giving them a whole cooler filled with enough blood for all the vampires. They talked, ate, drank and just enjoyed each others company.

But Neji wasn't feeling so good. He could describe the feeling, but it wasn't a pleasant one at all. He needed some fresh air. He staggered out into the street and looked up at the moon. It was a lovely night. Oh, how he wished he could enjoy it more. This feeling… This indescribable, horrible feeling he just couldn't shake… What was it?

He started to tip over. He caught himself in time. Why was he so dizzy all of a sudden? He felt terrible. He felt lightheaded. He felt strange. He felt… like ripping something apart. He had a strong desire to show off his power and fight something. He wanted to wash his hands in blood. He wanted to be… a vampire.

His fangs started to grow long and sharp. His nails grew into long powerful claws. He could feel his eyes changing color. He wanted to go wild. Why? He had no idea and he no longer cared. He just wanted to give in to instincts and let them take over and make him feel good. To make him feel alive.

Let go. Let loose. Live!

Neji hunched over and his vampire wings tore through the fabric of his jacket and spread. His large beautiful black wings stretched up toward the sky. He stood illuminated by the moon's light. He felt wonderful. This was the strongest he had felt in days. He hissed loudly and flapped his wings. It felt so good.

He wanted to fight something. He wanted to prove his strength. To dominate. Who thought themselves worth of him? Who dared challenge him?

"Neji?"

Upon hearing his name, he turned. Tenten stood right behind him looking deeply concerned. She wasn't horrified. Just worried.

He hissed and jumped back. He lowered his body and showed her his fangs, challenging her. When she didn't respond, he jumped into the air and spread his wings, hissing threateningly.

She just looked at him with that same expression. "Don't you know me anymore?"

He hissed.

"It's me."

He snarled.

"It's me."

He cocked his head to the side.

"Tenten."

Wait a minute. He knew that name. Where did he know that name? Who was this girl?

She started to move closer to him. "Neji."

His name. That was his name she was calling. That's his name. She knew him…

"Neji. Neji, it's me. It's Tenten."

Her image stayed in his mind for a long time. Who was she? He had to link her name with a face. Where in his memory was she? Who was she? Slowly he started to remember.

"Ten… Ten..?"

She nodded. "Yes. It's me. Tenten."

"Tenten?" He scrunched his face up in concentration. That name. That face. Then it hit him. That was Tenten! He gasped, remembering. "Tenten!"

She smiled and nodded. "You had me worried for a minute there, Neji."

He looked around. He spotted the wings on his back. When did he transform into this? What was he doing? How did he..? Why did he..?

"What am I doing..?"

She reached for his hand to help him inside. "Come on. Let's go back in."

He looked at her hand. He saw her veins. Filled with blood… That strange feeling of bloodlust and hostility started to bubble up inside him all over again. He wanted to attack her.

He shrieked and covered his face from view. "Stay away from me!"

She jumped. "But wh-?"

"Don't come near me, Tenten! I don't know what I'm going to do! Something's wrong with me! I- I can't help myself." He covered his eyes so he couldn't see her anymore. "Please, just get away from me! Stay away! I don't want to hurt you!"

Tenten watched him. Neji looked as if he were in great pain. He writhed and moaned all the while clutching his head and keeping his eyes shut tight. He was resisting his bloodlust. His vampire nature. He needed blood. The blood packets in the cooler weren't enough. He needed more. He needed fresh blood. She understood.

She approached. "I'm not afraid." She pulled the collar of her shirt down and revealed her neck. "If you need a drink, go ahead."

He cracked an eye open and stole a peek at her neck. That flesh… Those veins… Blood. He wanted it. Oh, how he wanted it. He longed for the feeling of sinking his fangs deep into that neck.

"No!" He jumped back. He could allow himself to do it. He refused to indulge in that blood of hers. He couldn't make a meal out of his teammate. He couldn't. He wouldn't! Not her... "No… No, I can't..!"

She grabbed him by the hair and pulled his head down towards her shoulder. "Neji, I know you're a vampire. And I know that you need blood. You can't fight your nature. Stop resisting and drink. Don't worry, I can take it."

He whimpered softly. He felt so torn. He wanted to do it, but he didn't want to! He didn't want to hurt her. What if he took too much of her blood? What if he ended up killing her by accident? He wouldn't be able to live with himself. "B- But…"

"Neji, I want you to do it," she said firmly. "Go ahead and drink up. You can have my blood."

"But… I…"

"I'm giving you permission to drink my blood. Go on."

Neji could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He felt so warm. So hot. His mouth watered. His throat was so dry… it burned. He was so thirsty. He moved closer. He sniffed her neck. He could smell her blood. It was so close. Only a thin layer of skin was all there was between his fangs and her blood. That delicious blood…

Sniff, sniff… Sniff, sniff…

Neji drooled, staring at her neck hungrily. He placed his hands on her shoulders and inched forward. "Are… Are you sure..?"

She could feel his warm breath on her neck as he spoke those words. She nodded slightly. "Yes… I trust you, Neji."

At her words, Neji calmed. She trusted him. It put him at ease. He lowered his head and opened his mouth. With a soft hiss, his fangs broke the skin. She flinched, but only just. Within moments, Neji's lips were awash with her blood. He licked his lips. Her blood tasted so sweet. It had such a wonderful flavor. He brought his arms up and wrapped them around her body.

Despite the pain, Tenten felt safe in Neji's arms. She knew he wouldn't harm her. She brought her arm up and placed them on his back. She began to stroke him gingerly as he drank deeply from her neck.

She whispered his name ever so softly. "Neji…"

His wings lowered and he wrapped them around her body protectively. His dark wings became her veil, shielding her from the moon's light. Then his wings lowered once again, folded and slowly disappeared. His claws vanished. Neji pulled his head away from her neck feeling full and calm.

No matter how he felt about himself, he knew that Tenten would never see him as a monster.

~*~*~

No one knew why Neji had acted that way. It was possibly another side effect of the upcoming hibernation. Upcoming was right. Their week was almost up. Either it would happen tonight or tomorrow. No one knew for sure, but they had little to no time left at all. This was their last chance to enjoy themselves until it happened. Now all they wanted to do was hang out with the friends that they made and enjoy their company. After all, if this was going to be a long hibernation, it was likely that the next time they met, all the humans would be adults; maybe even with families. And who knew how many Hokages there would be during that time. For all they knew, they could be meeting the tenth Hokage when they woke up next. It was a difficult thing to stomach.

Sakura and the others had finished the coffins that morning and had stashed them away in a secret passageway behind the Hokage building. No one had known about it except for the Hokage and lucky for them, she allowed them permission to use it during the hibernation. Because it was a secret, no one but her and a few others knew where it was. It would be completely safe for them.

That night, the group hung out at Neji's house for one last time before it happened. None of the vampires had an appetite for blood. They had no idea why, but they just weren't thirsty. This wasn't a good sign. The night before, they had completely cleaned out the blood in the cooler and from some of their necks. Now they didn't want anything. Not even a drop of blood.

Sasuke held is head in his hands. He had wanted to spend his last few hours with Crystal but that was impossible now. She was long gone with Kakashi. He shut his eyes and rubbed his forehead. He felt strange. It was like he had no energy to do much of anything. He also felt dizzy and lightheaded. He stood up from the chair. "I'm going out for some air," he told them and left.

He stood in front of the house and looked up at the full moon. It was so beautiful out tonight. The sky was full of stars and the moon looked so big and full. It was a lovely night. What he wouldn't give just to stand out here all night with Crystal's hand to hold…

His heart skipped a beat. He let out a small gasp. Everything started to spin. His vision was blurring, his head left heavy while his body felt weightless. He clutched his head in his hand and moaned loudly. This felt awful. He felt terrible. What was this strange feeling? He blinked a few times to clear his vision but it wasn't working. Everything slid out of focus and his legs gave out from under him. He went crashing down to the street.

"Sasuke!"

Before his head hit, someone reached out and caught him in their chest. Looking up, he saw that it was Naruto. He squinted trying to see Naruto's face. It was so blurry, but he could see the expression. He was frightened. Sasuke's mind started to cloud. He felt kind of woozy. His body was numb. He felt… very sleepy.

"N… N- Naruto…"

He held him closer. "Yeah?" Sasuke's voice was soft and distant.

"I… I think it's time now…"

"T- Time? You mean..?"

"Yeah…" Sasuke blinked slowly. His eyes were so heavy. "It's time for me to sleep."

"What?! No, you can't! We… We can get help. Grandma can… Maybe she'll…"

Sasuke grabbed Naruto's hand. "No. Don't." His voice was getting weaker. "Just… get… Sakura…"

"Why?"

He had to muster up all his strength to answer. "I have to tell you guys something."

"What?"

Sasuke blinked trying to take some weight off his eyelids. He had to do this. He had to tell them before it was too late. He knew the way of the ninja. He knew what that kind of dangerous life was like. And with this long sleep coming on… he may never see them again. He had to tell them how he felt. His last words to them.

"Naruto!" Sakura came running out of the house gasping and tripping over herself. "Naruto, something's wrong! They were fine a second ago, but now they're all..! They just fell over and they're not moving much. What do we do? What's happening?!"

Naruto didn't answer. He just held Sasuke in his arms and gave her a look. What was that look?

Suddenly, she understood. "Naruto… It's time, isn't it?"

He nodded sadly. "Yeah… It is…"

Sasuke couldn't move his head. He was too weak to move. He had only a few minutes left. His consciousness was slipping away. "Sa… Sakura…" he called weakly.

He couldn't see much of anything at all. But he heard her running towards him. She was at his side in seconds. He felt her hand on his. He turned his head as far as he could to look at her, which wasn't much. He could barely see her next to him. Time was running out.

She gripped his hand tightly in hers. "Sasuke..?" she said in a quivering voice. Was she crying? He couldn't tell.

He tried to squeeze her hand back, but he had no strength to do so. He was far too weak. "… Sakura… Naruto…" This was his last chance. He may never see them again. So much time would pass. So much would change. He had to do this.

"Sasuke…" Sakura whispered. "Is it… time?"

He couldn't nod so he moaned a 'yes' in response. "I'm going to go to sleep now… And I don't know when I'll wake up… And…" Remembering Crystal's words, he said, "… And I don't know if I'll remember anything when I wake up…"

Sakura's head picked up and she looked at Naruto, locking eyes.

"Didn't I tell you?" he asked. "Crystal said that it was possible that they could forget that they were ever human during their sleep. They may not remember us. If they don't remember being human, how could they remember being friends with us?"

Sakura gasped. "No! No, I don't believe it! No!" She gripped Sasuke's hand tightly and pressed it to her face. He could feel her cold tears trickle down his hand. So she was crying after all.

He understood why. He didn't want to forget them either. He didn't want to forget being human. What else would he forget because of it? Would he forget about his clan, this village, his promises? His brother? No, he didn't want to forget. He couldn't… But if he did, he wanted them to know. He had to tell them the truth.

"Guys…" His voice was so weak, they could hardly hear him. He was fading away. "I have to tell you something…"

"Don't talk, Sasuke," Sakura told him. "You need to save your strength."

"I have none left to save…" He was right. This was it. He was out of time. "This is important. Please listen…"

They bent down closer to him to hear what he had to say.

"Sakura…" He tried to look at her but all he could make out was her silhouette. His sight was gone. "Sakura… I just want you to know… that…"

"Yes?" Her voice was shaking again.

"… I still think you're annoying… You're a selfish person and loud and obsessive… You're such a screaming fan girl."

She coked back a sob.

"But… I also think you're smart." He heard her gasp out loud in surprise. "You are very resourceful and handy. You're smart and… I like that about you… I kinda like having you around sometimes." He had to pause to muster up more strength to speak. "… And I know that you and Ino are always going at it and competing for me… but I just want you to know… I think she is way more annoying than you are. She tries too hard. She relays too much on looks and she's not very smart… Yeah, it's true that I like girls with long hair, but I also like something under it, too. I like smart girls…" He took a deep breath. "Don't… lose to her, Sakura… Don't ever lose… Don't be weak. Get stronger so you won't have to be saved all the time… Promise me…"

He sensed her nod and felt more tears fall from her face and onto his arm.

"Uh-huh..! I- I pr- promise… Sasuke..!" She sniffled and coked back more sobs. "I promise!"

He took a deep breath and got ready. "Naruto…"

"Yeah?" Naruto gripped Sasuke's shoulders tightly, digging his nails into his skin.

"That hurts…"

"Sorry…" He loosened his grip. "Can't help it."

Sasuke's eyes started to droop a little. Minutes ticked by like seconds. There was no time.

"Naruto… I still think you're a stupid idiot and you can get so annoying at times…"

"Gee… Thanks…"

"You are, though… But you never give up or give in. You keep going. You make me have to get stronger so I can keep up with you… You help me… a lot…" His voice was dying on him. It was getting so hard to speak. "You still help me. You… stayed with me and helped me out when I needed you. When I was human and when you found out that I was a vampire… You're still here… at my side."

He felt Naruto slip his hand into his and hold it tightly.

"You were… a good… rival…" His eyes drooped a little more. "Thank you… Thank you both… for being my teammates… and my… friends… Thank you…"

His eyes closed.

Sakura crushed his hand in hers and bent lower to his chest. "No, Sasuke!" she cried. "Please don't! Don't leave me! Please, just stay here! Don't go! Please don't! Please! I love you, Sasuke! Please stay with me! I don't want this! Please! Please!" Thick tears rolled down her face as she sobbed into his chest. "Please, don't go..! You'll be gone for so long… I may never see you again… I- I… I don't want this..! I don't want you to forget about me! Please, don't! Don't forget! Please!"

Sasuke's eyes remained closed but they heard him speak. It was very faint and his lips were barely moving as he murmured weakly, "Hmph..! Same old… overly dramatic… Sakura…" His face relaxed. "… But… I… I wish… I could stay… with you… a little… longer…"

With that, Sasuke's mouth stopped moving and he fell silent. His time was up. Sasuke was gone. They shook him, but he remained motionless. Hibernation had finally kicked in.

And Sasuke was gone.

~*~*~

With no strength and no time, the humans had no choice but to carry the vampires on their backs all the way to their coffins in the underground cave. There they would be safe. Ino carried Shikamaru, Tenten carried Neji and Naruto carried the hibernating Sasuke on his back while Sakura marched at his side, never taking her eyes off him for an instant.

Neji griped Tenten for better support as he started to slip. "Don't worry, Neji," she told him. "We're almost there."

"… Yeah…" he murmured weakly. He too was fading. Any second now he'd be gone just like Sasuke.

Ino was having difficulty carrying Shikamaru on her back seeing as how he was taller and heavier than she was. She could feel his grip slipping. His strength was nearly gone. He had no strength to walk and he could barely lift his head up. She looked up at the sky.

"Hey, Shikamaru," she said, bucking her shoulders to rouse him. She felt him raise his head up slightly. "Look at the clouds."

He looked skyward. That's when he saw the moon, so round and full. The clouds were just beginning to part so he could see the stars and beautiful moon. These fluffy dark blue clouds, the full moon, the twinkling stars… It was beautiful. A perfect night sky. Who knew when he'd see another like this… Who knew when he'd see anyone again?

"… Ino…" he whispered faintly. His voice was so weak. "… Thank you…"

He sensed her chuckle. "You don't have to thank me, you know."

"… I know…"

She sniffled. "It's going to be hard not having you around, you know that, right?"

"Yeah… I know…"

"And… And you know how much Choji wanted to see you one last time…"

"Yeah…" His eyes drooped. "How… How is he..?"

"He's fine… But that mission couldn't wait. He's so upset that he couldn't be here tonight. But at least you saw him yesterday, huh?"

"… Uh-huh…" His eyes drooped more. His grip went slack. "Could you… tell him… something for me? Tell him… I'll miss him… and stay strong… please..?"

"What'd you say? I can barely hear you."

He mumbled back softly, "Tell him… I'll miss… him…"

"What was that last part? I couldn't understand you."

He didn't answer.

"… Shikamaru?"

"…"

"Shikamaru?"

She felt his arm slip off from around her shoulder and his body slump to the left, dangling lifelessly.

She gasped. "Shika-?!"

Ino turned her head around to look at him. His face was peaceful and was breathing evenly, sleeping with angels on his eyelids. It was too late. His time was up.

The blond ninja felt a tear roll down the side of her face. She missed him already. And she never even got to say good-bye. She glanced up. They were standing just outside the large metal doors leading to the safe room. He couldn't even last the last remaining three steps…

Lee, who had been following them during the long walk, opened the wooden coffins. "It is ready."

Neji lifted his head to look at them. Painted on the top of his coffin was his Hyuga clan crest. It was his. As the cover was removed, he got a good look at the padded interior. It looked soft , warm and cozy.

"This is… mine?" he asked weakly.

"Yup," Tenten said. "It's the very same one you tested out. It's all yours."

Lee helped remove Neji from her back and together, they helped him inside. It was so soft and comfortable. This was where he'd sleep.

Naruto and Sakura carried the slumbering Sasuke into his and Ino placed Shikamaru inside his own.

This was it. Their final good-byes.

Ino just stared at Shikamaru for several long moments. A single tear fell from her face onto his. He didn't move an inch. She covered his body with the blanket she had made for him. It had a deer emblem stitched on it. It was wrapped carefully around his body. She placed her hand on his. "Shikamaru…" she whispered. "… You idiot…"

Sakura and Naruto watched Sasuke's chest move slowly up and down with each peaceful breath he took. If it hadn't been for that little detail, they would have assumed that he was dead. That's just how still he was.

"You were a good rival, too, Sasuke…" Naruto rubbed his face off on the back of his sleeve. "And you're my best friend. I'll miss you, bastard."

Sakura just cried murmuring the words 'I love you' over and over again and holding his hand.

Tenten felt Neji squeeze her hand and she turned to him.

His eyes looked cloudy. "Tenten..?" He squinted. "How strange… I… can't see your face anymore…"

Her eyes widened. She knew what that meant. She held his hand tightly in hers. "Oh, Neji…" No more words would come. What could she say?

Neji blinked. And with every blink, his eyes grew heavier and heavier. His consciousness was slipping away. This was his last chance. He'd have to tell her now. Maybe she'd wait for him if she knew. Maybe…

"Tenten..?"

"Yeah?"

Lee leaned in close, too. "I am here, too, Neji. Do not worry."

_Great…_

"I have to… Tell you… something… before I go…"

"Yes?"

His eyes drooped. He couldn't hold them open anymore. He had to say it now while he still had a few seconds left. "Tenten… I just want you to… know… that I… enjoyed your company. Not just as… my teammate… but also as my friend…"

"Th… Thank you…"

"And…" His eyes kept drooping. "I'm sorry… for everything… I'm gonna miss you a lot… and Lee, too. But… Tenten…"

His grip was slipping. His strength was gone.

"Tenten… I wanted to tell you… something for a… long time…" He never had the guts to do it before, but now at the end… He had to. "Tenten… I really do care… about… you… a lot… I know you're a… strong… powerful ninja… I admire your courage…everything about you… I enjoy… I… I… think you're… wonderful… and special… and I… lov…"

She waited in suspense for him to finish, but he never did. He fell limp and lifeless on the pillow and remained silent. He was gone. And he never got to tell her how he really felt.

Tenten choke back a sob. She was normally so strong and could bottle up her feelings at times like these, but now... She just couldn't hold it in for some reason. She bowed her head over his coffin and held his hand while Lee hugged her.

All three vampires had gone into their hibernation. They all just looked so peaceful and in bliss as they slept. The girls had to wonder what it was they were dreaming about… or if they were dreaming at all.

They closed up the coffins, securing them shut and got up to leave. Sakura comforted Ino by placing an arm around her body in a small sympathetic hug. Lee held Tenten's hand and escorted her out the doors. Naruto turned and faced the three vampire coffins. He gave a long deep sigh. Giving them one final long look, he closed the doors and locked them.

_See you in about 50 years…_ He turned and followed the others back up the passageway.

* * *

Again, sorry it took so long. T-T

But wasn't this one kind of bittersweet?

I think the next one will be my last chapter… But I'm not sure how long that one will that me to do. Just wait! It will come once I figure out how to end it.

Thanks for reading and please review!


	31. Chapter 31 Lament

I'm REALLY sorry it took so long! Writer's block, school, drawing... and accidently deleting what I had finished -_-' I wasn't very happy about that. But here it is! The final chapter! Please enjoy!

**Chapter 31: Lament**

It had been three months since the vampires went into their hibernation and not too much had changed around the village. They had missions, they had free time to kill. Everything went by normally. The teams who had lost a valuable member of their team somehow managed to get by on their missions; Asuma's failing a couple here and there on account of Shikamaru no longer being there. Things were pretty quiet without the herd of fan girls following Sasuke around everywhere and Gai was still wondering when Neji was going to show up again. His team somehow managed to get by without him leaving no mission unfinished.

Sakura went on with her life in a kind of subdued way. She did what she could on missions and still pummeled Naruto if he ever stepped out of line. With Sasuke gone there was little else she could do. She missed him so much. She and Ino would even spend hours on end talking about him and reminiscing about old times. All she could do now was wait for him and the others to wake up. Other than going on missions with her team and hanging out for a while with friends, Sakura always went straight home and spent the rest of her time there. But every day she would go back to the place where they slept. She would stand outside the large doors and stare at them. They were just on the other side of that stone and steel, yet they seemed so far away. She would just stand there and watch the door, waiting.

Two months ago she had started a new ritual of going inside to check on them and see how they were doing. Nothing had changed since that night. Their coffins remained untouched and the vampires remained asleep. She would sit down with her back to the wall and stare. It was the same old, unchanging ritual every day. She would open the door and go inside. She would sit on the cold hard ground by their coffins. She would bring her legs up and rest her chin on her knees while keeping her arms wrapped around her pale legs. There she would sit and wait. There she would stare at them and wait. She waited and waited.

But nothing ever changed.

Then last week she had started a new routine. Now when she went in, she would open their coffins just a little bit for a peek. The same old thing every unchanging day. She would put her hands on Sasuke's casket and push the lid up and open with both hands. She would look down at his face. His ever handsome, but ever unchanging face.

He always looked the same whenever she looked upon his sleeping face. His face would always be pale and still. His face wouldn't even so much as twitch. Not in the slightest bit would he move. She could barely even tell he was breathing, his chest was hardly moving. His breathing had become so slow after they had placed him into the coffin. He looked like he was dead. He wouldn't even twitch when she called his name or gave him a gentle nudge. He was always in a very, very deep but peaceful sleep. His hibernation wasn't over yet.

And then every day, just as she had done countless times before, she would close up his casket and leave after giving him one final look.

Nothing ever changed.

She asked herself the same questions every day. When would he wake up? When will he wake up? How much longer? How long will I have to wait? When will he wake up? Will things ever change? When will he wake up?

And again today, just like every day, she walked all the way to the secret passageway and down the long flight of stairs all the way down to the secret room where they slept. And just like she did every day, she opened the doors and went inside. She walked over to their coffins like she did every day and sat down. She curled her knees and watched them.

She waited.

_How much longer will you have me wait, Sasuke?_ Sakura asked him. _How much more? How much more are you going to sleep?_

She never expected him to answer. But she wanted reassurance anyway. She wanted it so much. She wanted to know if he was doing ok in there. She wanted to know. When will he wake up? How much longer? When would he wake up? When will he wake up?

_Sasuke_… She drew her legs closer to her chest. _I want you back so bad. I want you back on our team so much. It's been hard without you. It's been boring. I miss you and Naruto challenging each other and trying to show each other up. I miss watching you fight and win. I miss being by your side. I miss hearing your voice. I miss everything about you. But most of all, I miss just seeing you. I miss seeing your eyes and watching you smile. It's so rare and wonderful. I miss it all_.

She gripped her knees tightly.

_I want you back so much. You have no idea how much I love you, Sasuke. I'm so in love with you! I don't care if you're a vampire! I don't care what happens! I just want you back!_

She remembered hearing that Sasuke might forget being human during his long sleep. He might even forget her. That reality was so much to bear. Too much.

_Sasuke, I don't care if you don't care if you don't remember being human! I don't care! And if you forget about me, that's fine! I'll start all over again! And this time, I'll make you love me back! I'll start fresh and show you! I'll remind you! I'll show you! And this time, you'll love me! I'll do it right! I want you to love me back! I want you so much, Sasuke!_

She started to cry out loud and buried her face into her raised knees. She couldn't make the tears stop flowing. She had so much emotion and she just couldn't hold it back anymore. She let it all out and cried.

She cried and cried. And cried…

Once finished, Sakura went back to her routine. After she dried her tears, she got up and walked over to Sasuke's coffin. She placed her hands on the cover and pushed it open. She had to see his face. Even just for a moment. She had to see it like she did every day.

And just like every day, he was laying there. Very still and…

His cheeks were rosy.

Sakura did a double take and leaned in for a better look. He had gained a little bit of color in his face, but only a little. He was still quite pale. His breathing was deep and slow, but now she could see his chest moving slowly up and down.

"Sasuke?" Her voice cracked a little.

He didn't move.

With a trembling hand, she reached down into his casket and placed a hand to his face. He felt warm. Her finger lightly touched his brow and his eye twitched.

She gasped.

She abandoned his coffin to look into the others'. She opened Neji's then Shikamaru's. They all had the same peaceful expression but their faces had gained some color. Now they looked like they were merely asleep. They even flinched when she touched them.

_They're waking up!_

Her heart felt so light and happy. She was so excited. She quickly closed their coffins and raced back to the village. She had to tell the others.

* * *

They opened the caskets one by one and looked inside. They were still there, flat on their backs sleeping soundly. But not for long. It had been three months since their eyes last opened. They couldn't wait to see their eyes open once again. They all sat around the coffins and waited for something to happen.

Naruto and Sakura sat in front of Sasuke's and waited for him to sit up and greet them. He never did, though. He remained motionless except for his chest gently rising and falling with every breath. Why wasn't Sasuke waking up? Wasn't it time? After several minutes of contemplation, Naruto had an idea. He pulled out a kunai and stabbed himself in the hand. It wasn't deep, but it was enough to draw a little bit of blood. He clenched his fist causing the blood to flow more freely. He put the knife away and crept towards the coffin.

Sakura looked at him. "What are you doing?"

"Shh. Just watch." He moved closer to the casket and leaned over the slumbering body inside. Holding his breath, Naruto lowered his hand down to Sasuke's face and waited for something to happen. The warm blood from his hand dripped onto Sasuke's face causing him to twitch slightly. "Sasuke?"

Naruto's hand was hovering right over his nose, blood dripping down onto his face. Sasuke's nose twitched. He sniffed. His brow twitched. He sniffed again. He inhaled deeply, smelling the blood inches away. He moaned and very slowly, his tongue crept out of his mouth and tasted the air. The tip of his tongue ran across the drop of blood on his cheek before worming back into his mouth. A second went by, then another. His face twitched and then…

Sasuke's eyes opened.

Sakura smiled. "Sasuke!"

He didn't move or speak. His hollow eyes were fixed on the ceiling above, staring into space. It was almost as if he were blind.

Naruto lowered his head into the coffin. "Sas-?"

With no warning, Sasuke suddenly sprang up in his coffin. He grabbed Naruto's arm, pulled him down and sank his fangs deep into his neck. The familiar pain spread through Naruto's body as Sasuke started to drink. He drank deeply and at an incredible speed, unable to quench his inconceivable thirst. He hadn't had anything to drink for the longest time so it was no wonder he was so thirsty. He tightened his grip on Naruto and held him in place as if expecting him to wiggle away any moment.

Naruto was starting to feel weak. Sasuke was drinking a little too much. He tried to push against Sasuke's shoulders to tell him to stop. "Uh… Sasuke… Sasuke, please stop. I'm running out of blood for you to take."

Sasuke hugged his body close and drank, ignoring his pleas.

"Sasuke..!"

After another couple of slurps, Sasuke stopped sucking. He kept his eyes shut as he lapped up the excess blood with his tongue. He licked Naruto's neck, making sure not to miss a single drop. Naruto could feel his warm breath on his bare flesh, cooling the saliva Sasuke left behind with his tongue. It made him shiver.

At long last, Sasuke stopped and pulled away. He caught his breath and opened his eyes slowly. The first thing he saw when his vision cleared was Naruto staring back at him. There was an awkward silence as the two stared at each other. Remembering what he had been told prior to this, Naruto started to wonder if Sasuke recognized him. Did Sasuke even know that he was once human like him? What did he know? Were his memories lost in his sleep? How much did he remember?

Sasuke blinked and opened his mouth. He spoke slowly. "… Naruto..?"

Naruto smiled. He had never been so happy to hear Sasuke call his name before. "Sasuke… Good morning."

Sasuke sat back and looked around. Everything was so strange. This place he was in… He couldn't remember it, and yet it was so familiar to him. It was underground, that much he knew. But it was a place he was unfamiliar with. He looked and saw two other coffins lined up at his side. They were open and inside he could see the sleeping forms of Neji and Shikamaru. He remembered.

"I was hibernating…"

"That's right," Sakura told him.

He looked up at her voice. He looked at her face, at her clothes, her eyes. She looked the same. She hadn't changed much at all. "Sakura?"

She nodded, smiling with tears in her eyes. He knew her. He didn't forget.

He looked around at the others in the room and then back at them. He studied their faces and then looked down at his hands. They were as pale as ever. He hadn't aged a day, but them… They looked the same as when he had seen them last with minimal changes. "How long was I out?"

"Three months."

He looked back up at them. "Only three months? But I thought… I thought it would last for years… Only three..?" He felt kind of relieved. So nothing had really changed at all. They were still together. Nothing was really missed.

While Sasuke and his team had their reunion, Tenten had taken a page from Naruto's book and had slashed open her palm, too, drawing blood. She hovered her fist above Neji's mouth and gave her hand a squeeze. A fresh gush of blood poured from her hand and into his waiting mouth, feeding him life.

He swallowed. More blood dripped into his mouth and he drank it all down. He gave a pleased moan and reached blindly up for its source. With his eyes shut tight, Neji groped her hand and pulled it down to his level and drank from the cut in her palm. He slurped and licked, leaving no drop untouched.

Tenten flinched as his fangs scrapped across her palm, but she didn't mind. She was just so happy to have him back. Every movement of this was like a gift. She treasured every moment of it all.

Once finished, Neji opened his eyes to see the giver of the sweet, sweet blood. Everything was so blurry, but he could still make out Tenten's outline. He blinked a few times to clear his vision and answered her with an under used voice. It had been so long since he had last spoken to her or anyone for that matter.

"Ten… ten? Is that you?"

"Yes," she answered back with a smile.

He reached up and touched her face just to make sure it wasn't a dream. "You… look the same… How long..?"

"Three months."

"I see…" Thank God. He feared it would be much longer than that. He was afraid that she would be an old woman with grandchildren the next time they met. He feared that she would have found another… "It's so good to see you again."

"Same here."

Shikamaru clawed his way up Ino's arm and drank from her shoulder. She winced and whimpered, but not because of the pain. "Ew..! This is so gross!"

When Shikamaru had his fill, he looked up at her. He studied her face with a quizzical expression. "Who are you, human?"

Everyone's jaw dropped and gawked at the two. Ino's jaw moved up and down, trying to form words. Choji gave him a worried expression. "Shikamaru, it's us. Don't you remember?"

Shikamaru moved closer to Ino. She cringed, fearing that he would attack her. He reached for her and…

Flicked the end of her nose. "Got you!"

Her pale face turned red and smacked him upside the head. "You are such a jerk! I can't believe you did that! Do you have any idea how much you scared me? You jerk!"

Choji and Shikamaru laughed, bumping knuckles. It felt so good to have the team back together again. "Sorry, Ino. But I just couldn't resist!"

Choji laughed with him. "You have to admit that it was pretty funny."

"Jerks!"

Neji struggled to stand, but his legs wouldn't work. They felt numb. Tenten turned to him. "You ok?"

He wiggled his toes, but he still had very little feeling in his legs. "I guess my body's not completely awake yet." He gripped the side of his coffin and tried to pull himself up. The attempt resulted in him crashing back down in the wooden casket.

Lee's hand reached out as he tried to help him up. With Lee's strength and Tenten steadying him, Neji somehow managed to get back on his feet. It was like learning to walk all over again. He took one wobbly step after another. This was something he had to get used to again.

Sasuke tried to do the same. His legs felt like jelly. He used Naruto as his crutch and started to climb out of his coffin. It took a full minute just to walk five steps, let alone get out of his coffin. Feeling a little better than before, Sasuke tried standing on his own. He took in a breath and took one step forward. Success! He was doing alright.

When he looked up to see how the others were fairing, he found Neji already in the air. "Flying already?" he asked, a little jealous.

But Neji wasn't doing very well. He wasn't as graceful as he used to be. He looked like a leaf in the wind. Before landing on the ground, or rather slamming into it, he succeed in crashing a total of four times into the walls and twice against the ceiling. Once on the ground, he decided to stay that way. He'd try that again later.

After an hour, the group walked out of the room and went upstairs. The sun had set a good 20 minutes ago so it would be perfectly safe for the vampires to go out and enjoy themselves. Now having the feeling back in their legs, the boys took off in a run. They ran freely in the grass and around trees, enjoying themselves fully. It had been so long since they had last done this. After their little game of tag, Sasuke decided to kick things up a notch. He broke into a dead run and jumped into the air. He flew high above the trees where no one could catch him. Neji and Shikamaru did the same, kicking off from the ground and joining Sasuke in the air. Naruto and Lee chased after them from below, unable to fly themselves.

Shikamaru looked back and saw Choji hanging near the girls. He was never any good at running. Shikamaru could tell that he wanted to join in, so he flew down to his side. Shikamaru extended his hands out to his friend. "Want to go for a ride?"

Choji's eyes widened. He didn't expect this.

Ino stepped up and tried to stop them. "Shikamaru, you just woke up from hibernation and couldn't walk a straight line without help!" she scolded him. "Now this? If you try to fly with Choji, you'll throw your back out! He's too fa-"

"I can handle it, Ino," Shikamaru stopped her just in time. He grabbed Choji's hands and hovered over his head. "You ready?"

Choji gulped. "I- I've never flown before, Shikamaru. Are you sure it's safe?"

"Don't you trust me?"

Swallowing hard, he nodded. He held on tight as he felt his feet leave the ground. He looked down and saw everything shrinking beneath him. He was among the branches one second, then seeing the tops to the trees the next. Then, once Shikamaru was up high enough, started to move forward. He could feel Choji's nails digging into his flash, clinging for dear life. They were going for a ride.

"S- sorry, S- Sh- Shikamaru…" Choji trembled. "I know I must be heavy."

He shrugged. "Actually, I didn't really notice." He hadn't. Choji felt like he weighed almost nothing. He was so light. "Say, have you lost weight by any chance?"

Choji shot him a look, taking his eyes off the ground for the first time since the ride began. "Don't tease me, Shikamaru."

"I wasn't. You just feel really light to me."

Choji looked back down, still not used to such a height. "Maybe you've gotten stronger."

"Yeah, maybe… I think Crystal said something about our powers improving during our long sleep. So maybe you're right."

The night air felt so good on Sasuke's face. He had almost forgotten what it was like. He felt so free. He flew higher and higher, dipping down low and doing flips in the air. It was so good to be alive. Such freedom…

Neji zoomed past him and the two started a race. Sasuke caught up only to be outmaneuvered when Neji did a sudden u-turn in mid-flight. Sasuke chased after him. He wasn't going to get away that easily.

Down on the ground, Naruto and the others watched the display take place above their heads. "It looks like they're testing their powers out."

Lee nodded. "They wish to see how they have improved during their long sleep. It is amazing to watch! To think that you can become so strong from just sleeping."

"I think there's more to it than that," Tenten told him. "But they are much faster than I remember."

"And strong, too."

Sasuke and Neji zoomed past them, a strong gust of wind following close behind, blowing their hair back. Naruto chased after them on foot, wanting to catch a bit of action himself. He reached up and tried to grab one of Sasuke's legs but the Uchiha moved aside with ease. Feeling like showing off, he reached down and picked Naruto up in one hand. He really was strong! Sasuke could never do that before! He held the fox in the palm of his hand like a tiny doll and juggled him in the air. Naruto screamed out and begged him to stop. It wouldn't have been as scary if Sasuke hadn't been doing this in the clouds and one handed to boot.

Neji soared through the sky like a dolphin in the sea. The night air felt wonderful on his pale face. He loved the feeling. The smells… The sounds… He loved the night.

He looked off to the side and saw Sasuke ripping a tree out by its roots and swinging it around like a bat. Naruto was running scared for once in his life. Sasuke was showing off like crazy and there was no telling how far he would take it. He could kill someone at the rate he was going. Neji plowed into him and pulled the tree out of his hands and held it in his. Was this really a whole tree? It felt like no more than a branch to him. He really had gotten stronger. He liked it.

Sasuke flew higher and stared down at Neji. He reached out for the tree. "Give that back."

"Why? So you can kill somebody with it?"

"I won't kill anyone."

"At the rate you're going, you will. Clam yourself down, hotshot, and I'll give it back to you."

"Hotshot?"

"You heard me."

Sasuke opened his mouth and hissed, baring his fangs at Neji.

Neji hissed back. This was another good way to test out their new powers. A good old fashioned fight. After all, Neji was really interested in fighting Sasuke. Two prodigies fighting it out. Now that sounded like fun.

In a flash, the fight started. Neji slugged Sasuke in the chest with the tree like a bat and flew after him, dropping the tree to the earth with a loud crash. Sasuke pulled out of the blow and soared high over Neji's head. Then he dove down and delivered the first punch. Neji took it in the jaw and was cast aside like an old rag doll.

Even with such great force, the two barely felt a thing. These were the kind of blows that could shatter bones or take lives, but to them they were no more than getting hit with a couple of heavy pillows. They barely felt anything at all.

Tenten looked up at the sky and saw the whole thing take place. "Oh, those idiots," she sighed. "They just woke up and already they're picking a fight. Why can't they just take it slow for once? They're going to burn themselves out in no time."

There was a thunderous crash followed by an enormous dust cloud as Sasuke drilled Neji into the earth with all his might. The force created a huge crater in the earth, Neji right in the middle with Sasuke standing on his gut. Sasuke threw up his hands in victory. "I win! Who's awesome?"

"Not you!"

He looked down to see Neji's fangs doubling in size. His eyes flashed a deep, menacing red and he let out a vicious hiss.

"The fight's not over you, fool!"

Before he could blink, Neji was upon him. With Sasuke still on his gut, Neji shot straight up into the air in an upward tackle. The two broke apart in the air and Sasuke managed to get a good long look at him. Neji had sprouted a pair of black bat wings. His nails had become claws and his fangs were long and sharp like a pair of dangers. He looked like a monster.

"Wait, did you just try to transform into a bat?" Sasuke asked. "You look like you could only manage about half."

Neji snarled. "I'm not sure what this is, but I feel even more powerful than ever. Come on! Let's finish this!"

With a smug smirk, Sasuke agreed.

The two collided.

Sasuke's claws extended and slashed Neji across the face. His deep gash healed in seconds and Neji slashed him back in turn. The two bit and scratched each other and tumbled around in the air. Sasuke grew his own pair of black wings and threw Neji to the ground, showing off his new strength. Neji shot straight up and into Sasuke again, slamming into him with all his might. Blood shot out of his mouth as he was tossed through the night air. Neji was indeed very strong. No one had ever tossed him like that before. From the feel of it, the force of the impact had broken four of his ribs and shattered two others.

"What the hell are they doing?" Ino looked up at the sky. "Are they trying to kill each other?"

Sasuke zoomed back, nearly knocking Shikamaru and Choji out of the sky. He stuck his arm straight out and pierced Neji's collar bone, blood spraying everywhere. Sasuke ripped his hand back out, a piece of bone still stuck between his fingers. Neji remained in the air, hand over his wound. When he took his hand away, the wound was long gone. They could heal so much faster now. Even from heavy injuries.

Neji zipped passed him with incredible speed and slammed into him from behind. Sasuke was sent down into the earth once again. Neji circled above like a vulture.

"Will you two knock it off before someone really gets hurt?" Tenten called from below.

Neji looked down. "But we're just-"

Sasuke was in the air again, dragging a tree behind him. Gripping the trunk tightly in both hands, he threw it at Neji. The vampire saw it coming and moved aside in time. But now it was heading for the girls. Tenten was right in its path. Neji power dived down and put himself between her and the tree. He raised his arm up as a shield and the tree shattered on impact. Tenten hid herself behind him as debris rained down around them.

He turned to her. "You ok?"

She nodded. Then slapped his shoulder. "You idiot! I told you to cool it before someone got hurt!"

"I'm sorry!"

Sasuke flew over and hovered above them. "Well?"

"I think we should stop. Too many people. Besides, I think we proved our point."

"You two just have to show off, don't you?" Tenten scolded them. "Yeah, we get it. You're powerful. Now knock it off. Save it for when there's real danger, ok?"

Neji wasn't listening to her. He was too bus sniffing her neck. "I'm thirsty."

She moved away."

"Please? Just a taste?"

"But I already gave you some a little while ago."

"Yeah, but all that work out made me thirsty again. Please?"

She frowned. "Hey, Lee?"

"Huh?"

"Get over here. He needs your neck."

"What?"

No time for arguing. Neji had already wrapped his arms around him and was drinking his blood. Sasuke looked around for his favorite fox. His blood was very satisfying. He loved Naruto's unique flavor. But he couldn't find him anywhere, so he had to settle for Sakura instead. He brushed her hair aside and bit her neck.

Shikamaru finally returned and set Choji back down on the ground by the other ninja. "What'd I miss?"

Suddenly, without warning, Sasuke shot up into the air again and started flying this way and that. He was looking for something.

"Now what are you doing?"

Without looking back, Sasuke answered. "If our hibernation is over, then that means that Crystal should be returning, too. I can't wait to see her!"

Sakura watched Sasuke with sad eyes. So he really was in love with another woman. Was there really no hope for her at all?

* * *

Crystal ran as fast as she could, hoping to beat the rising sun. From the moment she awakened from her long slumber, her life had been filled with nothing but trouble and hardship. No sooner had she left her hiding place, a group of vampire-hunting humans began chasing her. She couldn't handle them and hide from the sun at the same time. They had been waiting for her. They knew she couldn't fight them in the daytime. All she could do was run. The sun was coming up. She had to hide. She could feel her own body begin to weaken as the sun rose higher and higher. She feared she would not make it.

"There!" A man pointed straight at her and the others followed. Crystal ran faster, with what little strength she had left. The men started to throw rocks and stones at her to trip her up. With such a weak body, Crystal couldn't fly away. She was forced to run downhill, dodging their stones and taunts.

Luck was not on her side. She tripped the last remaining steps and fell to the ground. This gave the humans enough time to catch up to her and started to beat her. With her claws, she slashed at their legs and scrambled up. She had to get away!

She stepped out from under the safety of the trees just as the sun rose above the horizon.

The light found her exposed flesh and started burning her.

Crystal screamed and fell to the ground, curling up to hide herself. The humans ran to her side and started pulling at her cloak, stripping her of the only protection she had.

It was too late for help. Crystal screamed as her spine bent backward like a bow and fissures started to stretch across her pale flesh. Her soft skin became as rough and hard as stone as her body began to crystallize. Her skin cracked, the transformation continuing without mercy. Crystal's hand reached out toward the sun as if attempting to block it out. Even if she could, there was no longer any point. It was too late for her now.

"No..!" Her lips started to turn to stone and became just as fragile as glass. "Why..?"

Crystal's lament fell from her lips in a cloud of dust. Her eyes darkened, wide and fearful, staring straight at death. Her extended arm cracked and broke off at her elbow and fell to the ground in a pile of sand. The rest of her body followed suit, crumpling into dust. Her hard grey body cracked off piece by piece inside her clothes, her limbs reduced to piles of dust and stone. Her neck snapped and her head fell back and was pulverized on the hard ground. The wind blew her remains away, leaving no trace behind.

The last of the vampires was gone from this world. Her fear-filled journey of pain and suffering was at an end. Her life was over. Her spells were broken.

* * *

Far away, back at the Leaf Village, the small group walked back toward town as the sun was beginning to rise. They took the path covered by trees to make sure that no sunlight would find them. Worn out from their little battle, the two vampires barely said a word. Not to mention the fact that the rising sun was making them feel sleepy. Shikamaru rubbed his eyes with a yawn. "It feels like I only just got up, now I'm tired again. I feel so sleepy…"

Ino gave him a slap in the back of the head. "Talking about it won't help. The more you dwell on it, the more tired you're going to get."

"Yeah, yeah…"

Sasuke was still happily planning his future dates with his beloved Crystal on their way through the tree. He missed her so much. He remembered how good it felt to sleep next to her during the daytime and how much he loved playing her a song in the middle of the night. He loved dancing with her and how much he loved to see her smile and call out his name. He was hopelessly in love with her. This only upset Sakura further. Knowing how he felt about Crystal, knowing that she felt the same about him, made her wonder if there was any hope for her at all. If Sasuke really loved Crystal the way she did him, she knew it was never meant to be. She loved Sasuke, but there was another in his heart. There was just no room for her.

This overpowering feeling of love was making Sasuke crazy. Everyone knew how he got over the ravishing vampire girl and that was exactly what was creeping them out. Sasuke didn't act like himself. He acted like a love-crazed maniac. So out of character for him. Was this really what he was like when he was in love or was it just because of the vampire's spell? There was really no way of knowing.

The group was passing through the trees when something strange started to happen.

Suddenly, every vampire froze in place and did not move. They looked like terrified statues, eyes wide and staring straight ahead. Lee poked Neji in the arm. He gave no response. The same thing was true for Shikamaru when Ino waved a hand in front of his face. He gave no reaction. Sakura gave Sasuke a shake.

"Sasuke. Sasuke, snap out of it! Wake up! What's wrong with you?"

He gave a soft whimper and then…

"GAAAAAAAAAAUUGHHH!"

All three vampires threw back their heads and screamed. They screamed and screeched and wailed. It was a horrible sound, like something you'd hear in a nightmare or a horror film. They were in total agony.

"Sasuke! SASUKE!"

Naruto came up to help her. "Sasuke, what's wrong? Are you ok? Sasuke, talk to us! Sasuke!"

His screams died down and so did his strength. Sasuke lost all sense of balance and toppled over. His teammates caught him and sat him down in the grass. Neji and Shikamaru had stopped screaming as well, their eyes rolling to the back of their heads as they fell over into the arms of their teammates.

"Cryst… al…" Sasuke breathed before falling silent once again.

* * *

The next time Sasuke's eyes opened, he was laying in a hospital bed. On either side were the two other vampires, out cold. He blinked and looked up at the ceiling. Everything was so calm. His body ached, though. Even his teeth were hurting slightly. Staring up at the white tiled ceiling he asked to no one in particular, "What am I doing here?"

"We needed to get you inside."

"Huh?" he looked at the chair on the other side of the room where Kakashi was sitting.

"You collapsed in the woods," he explained. "We brought you here. I wanted to wait until you all woke up before I told you what was going on."

Neji and Shikamaru stirred next to him as they in turn woke up wondering where they were. Once they figured out their location, Kakashi called in the rest of the teams who were waiting outside the door. Everyone from that night came in and stood around their beds. Sunlight glared off of Naruto's headband and Sasuke put up his hand to shield it from his eyes. That's when he noticed that the windows were open and sunlight was streaming in. But it wasn't hurting him.

Sasuke held out his arm in the light, feeling nothing but a dull warmth. "Why aren't I burning?"

The other vampires noticed the same thing.

Kakashi nodded. "Remember when we discovered that the only way to cure the vampire curse was to kill the vampire who bit you?"

Sasuke was very confused. "But… I bit Shikamaru… and… but I'm not… I…"

He nodded. "Ah, but Crystal bit you. I was off on a mission when I got word that a vampire had been killed up north. I decided to check it out. I found a pile of stone and dust and a green dress. The same one you bought for her." He took a breath. "Sasuke… Crystal is dead. She burned to death in the sun."

He stared at him in shock.

"She was the one who bit you first, causing all of this to happen. She was the head vampire. Killing her severs the chain linking all of you together. In other words, the moment she died, the vampire curse was broken. You're all human again."

To test this, Neji tried out his Byakugan. It actually worked. He couldn't do that before as a vampire. The curse really was gone and they had all their powers back.

After a short stay, Neji and Shikamaru left with their teams to get reacquainted with the day world. Sasuke remained in bed. He hadn't moved since Kakashi had told him the news of Crystal's death. Naruto remained behind and sat on the edge of Sasuke's bed.

"You ok?"

He shrugged.

"Look, I know how you must feel. It's hard losing people. Heh, like I need to tell you that. But come on, she wasn't that great. She did turn you into a vampire after all. You'll get over it."

"That's not the problem."

Naruto looked at him. "What do you mean? What is it then?"

Sasuke looked at him for a second before looking away again. "I… Don't feel anything."

"Huh?"

"For her. I… I feel nothing. I know I should be sad and I should miss her. I mean, you saw how I was when I was away from her for a few hours. I should be going crazy. But I'm not. I don't understand. Why aren't I sad? What's wrong with me?"

Naruto kicked his legs, thinking. "Well…" he said after a while. "Maybe it's because you loved her as a vampire. And now that you're not a vampire anymore…"

That must have been it.

Sasuke no longer felt anything for her. He didn't even remember what had attracted him to her in the first place. He felt as if something was missing, but strangely enough, it didn't bother him. He remembered her clearly, but he felt nothing. He couldn't even say that he missed her.

"Hey, it's no big deal." Naruto hopped off the bed and gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Now we can go on missions together again and not have to worry about sun or blood. Right, Sasuke?"

"Whatever, loser."

Naruto frowned. That's the old Sasuke alright. Apparently losing his vampire self also meant losing his appreciation for the ninja who helped him out all this time. Naruto turned and started to leave.

"Naruto… thanks."

He turned. Sasuke was facing his bed sheet, hanging his head down low as if ashamed to admit it. Naruto didn't need to hear it. He already knew what Sasuke was thankful for. "That's cool. Hey, I'll tell Sakura you're doing ok. I'll send her in if you're-"

"Nah. I'm coming. Just give me a minute."

"Ok. Sure." Naruto opened the door and walked out, nearly bumping into Sakura who had been listening outside the door the whole time. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh!" She jumped up nervously. "Oh, I was just… I was just, uh… I was looking for… I wanted to… make sure Sasuke was ok."

"Oh, yeah. He's fine. He's coming."

"Great. That's really great." Naruto didn't even notice how she felt inside. But it was written all over her face. She was happy that Sasuke was ok and that he was human again. But what she was really happy about was the fact that Sasuke no longer had feelings for Crystal. And even if he did, she was long gone. _I'm back in the game, cha!_

* * *

They took it slow the first day, but it was surprisingly easy to get back into a normal human routine. Sasuke and his team was given two days off to rest up and get back into the swing of things. Sasuke didn't really need it. There was nothing for him to be upset about or to get over. Crystal was gone and that was that. Sasuke didn't need time to let that sink in if that was the idea. And if it was about getting used to being human again, he didn't need to. He was born a human, wasn't he? Nature never leaves you. Sasuke already knew what it was like to be human. And in truth, despite all his vampire powers, he did miss being human. Now he could be a ninja again and use jutsus, something he couldn't do as a vampire. Although, he did miss all the power he had gotten from being a vampire. It seemed such a shame to have to give all that up. It was back to training for him. No more sleeping for months at a time to get powerful.

That night, Sasuke crept out of his house, carrying a case under his arm. He jumped from roof to roof and tree to tree. He remembered what it was like to fly and missed it. But jumping was close enough. Oh, how he loved the wind on his face and the smell of the night air. He had lost so much when he became human again. His eyes had returned to normal and his skins had gained its color again and his fangs were gone. He had no vampire talent and had lost everything he had as a vampire. There was so much he had given up. But as much as he gave up, that was how much he got back. He was glad that he was human again.

Neji and Shikamaru felt the same way. Their teams were thankful for it, too. Just happy to have Neji back, Tenten didn't even bother to ask him what he was trying to tell her before he fell into his deep sleep three months ago. Not that he would bother to tell her now. He had no intention of letting her know that. Now yet, anyway. Everything was normal again and they wanted it to stay that way.

Sasuke leapt up onto a rooftop and stared out at the moon. He sat down and pulled out a violin. As he put it to his shoulder, he reminisced about the first time he had played for her and all the times since then. How she would watch him play her a song with a smile and bright, cheerful eyes. How they would dance together. How they would use their powers to torment the people in the village for their amusement. He remembered being out on a night just like this looking at the moon. He remembered everything she had taught him. She taught him how to be a vampire. He loved sleeping next to her during the day and flying with her at night. He remembered her voice and how she would sing. He remembered her soft touch and her strength. And he could still hear her giggle in his mind as he remembered her pale, smiling face.

But still he felt nothing. Those were only memories.

He put the bow to the strings and the violin screeched out of tune.

Maybe he did love her. Once.

* * *

THE END! ^-^

THANK YOU!

Thanks for reading! Again, I'm sorry it took so long, but better late than never. I hope you enjoyed it! And please review for this last chapter! See ya!


End file.
